


Star Wars: The Zootopian Saga

by 0P3RaGh05T



Series: Zooverse [1]
Category: AO3 Exclusive - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Fusion, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Alternate Universe - Zootopia Fusion, Canon Divergence - Star Wars Expanded Universe, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Jedi Knights, Jedi Training, Lightsaber Battles, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sith Empire, The Force Ships It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-02-07 00:50:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12829767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0P3RaGh05T/pseuds/0P3RaGh05T
Summary: Here it is, my AO3 exclusive StarWars/Zootopia Crossover. You can all thank my son for this. He's the one who requested that I write this story. He really wanted to see Nick, Judy, and the rest in a Star Wars 'verse.Summary: Judith Laverne Hopps, a lieutenant colonel in the Empire's military forces, is a Forceful-in-hiding and hoping to defect to the Republic. This is easier said than done. To achieve this she hires the most elusive, legendary infamous freelance mercenary known: Nicholas Piberius Wilde.The two find themselves on an adventure that spans the entire galaxy. On the run, they team up to discover the secrets hidden across the galaxy. They meet Jedi, Sith, and many others who decide to either help them or join them on their journey.During all this, Judy and Nick will learn many things, about themselves, one another, and in general that they never imagined. May the Force be with them always.





	1. Chapter Zero: Prologue - Opening Scroll

**Author's Note:**

> This story was created using data from various Star Wars media forms. Some terms and phrases have been modified to better fit.
> 
> A Forceful is a mammal who is Force-sensitive.
> 
> Nick's starship, The Night Howler, is a shout-out to Tails of the High Seas by Selaxes.
> 
> This is the ONLY spoiler you get: Yes, both of our favorite characters will eventually wield lightsabers, but NO they will be neither Jedi nor Sith. They're gonna do their own thing. Just like always.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prologue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I've managed to ready this story ahead of time whoo-hoo!!

**Prologue: Opening Scroll**

* * *

The seemingly ceaseless war between the Empire and the Republic is on the verge of reaching critical mass. The galaxy, split between the two factions, is in chaos. The Republic, aided by the Jedi Order, versus the Empire, aided by the Sith. Many worlds have arisen and fallen before the might of those skilled in the mystical Force. With the conflict only worsening, the two sides have begun to draft mammals into their forces to replace those who have fallen in battle.

The Republic, and the Jedi who serve them, desire to aid those affected by the destruction brought upon the various worlds by the Empire. Hoping to bring relief, GENERAL BOGO has requested additional troops from the outlying worlds along the OUTER RIM. The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, LEODORE LIONHEART, wanting to ensure that his reputation as a fair and just mammal in the eyes of his peers as well as the mammals who he serves, has agreed to the request, sending reinforcements to aid GENERAL BOGO in locating mammals for military training and providing much needed assistance to the populace.

The Empire, with the aid of the Sith Order, desire the unification of the galaxy, by whatever means necessary. The Sith Emperor, a nameless mammal who has yet to reveal himself, has ordered his forces to locate any and all Force-sensitive mammals the Jedi reject and bring them for training. The Imperial forces waste no time to obey their emperor’s command. They scour the galaxy looking for the mammals that the Jedi overlook.

Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps, a 24-yr. old bunny doe from the Bunnyburrow settlement on Dantooine, finds herself en route to the Imperial controlled city-world of Zootopia. Having spent most her life training to ultimately join the Grand Army of the Republic, Judy was distraught when the Empire conquered her homeworld and drafted her into their military. Judy had learned at an early age that she was Force-sensitive, which was rare among rabbits. An ironic fact considering the vast number of them in the galaxy. Not wanting to be sent to Korriban and trained in the ways of the Sith, Judy had hidden her Force-sensitivity from friends, family, everybody. Over the past two years, Lt. Col. Hopps has used everything from deception to subterfuge to try and discover a way to defect to the Republic.

Having heard whispers of an elusive mammal known as Nicholas Wilde, who was said to pull off absolutely impossible feats, Lt. Col. Hopps attempted to find a way to contact him. To make sure her communiques weren’t intercepted, Judy had resorted to the oldest forms of communication in history: whispered words and letters. She had waited for a response, but it never came. In the beginning, Judy’s thoughts had been that maybe this Nicholas Wilde didn’t find her task worthy of his efforts. However, it had been one standard hour after receiving her orders of transfer to Zootopia that she’d gotten a reply. Now on her way to Zootopia, Judy Hopps must decide what she’ll do next………

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me, have I caught your interest?


	2. Chapter One: Their Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy begin their journey to achieve their dreams. Where will they go? What will happen? They, and you, will have to wait and see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as I said, my son asked me for this. He actually asked me for it when Episode 7 came out and after we saw it then bought the original saga on 4K blu-ray. His exact words were: "Dad? If Nick and Judy were in Star Wars, how would that work?"
> 
> Needless to say, that sparked an idea that took root and grew. I gathered all my Star Wars memorabilia, all my video games, all my novels, and the movies into our living room then sat down with my old HP laptop I used to use for excel spreadsheets and started creating character sheets for everybody.
> 
> Oh, and also, this story will only update once a month as it won't be as long as my other story. But, it is part of a series, just like my other story. The Zootopian Directive is estimated to be five books long with each book being somewhere between 230 chapters apiece. This should only be three or four books with 50 each.

** Chapter One: Their Journey Begins **

* * *

**_ The Fox Den Cantina - Zootopia _ **

Looking around, Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps, known as Judy to her friends and family, wasn’t at all surprised to see that the regular clientele were canids. Most of them vulpines, though there were a few other Canidae species present as well. She was here to meet the infamously elusive Nicholas Wilde, but had no idea what species he was, what he looked like, or anything except the rumors that surrounded his name. Judy nursed the drink she’d been given, a nonalcoholic beverage as per her request. Thinking back on the rumors she had heard about Nicholas Wilde, Judy couldn’t help but wonder what type of mammal he was.

Nicholas Wilde. It was said that at a young age he was one of the best swoop racers one could ever see. After reaching the legal age to gamble, he won back to back tournaments in sabacc, pazaak, and other games of chance. He then enlisted in the Republic’s special forces as a scout. During that time, it was said that he was captured by the Empire. From there, his history only became vaguer. Imperial Intelligence special operative, bounty hunter, these were only a few of the occupations he had had while serving the Empire. At some point, Nicholas Wilde went rogue, abandoning the Empire and the Republic both. That’s where the rumors became the vaguest. Some say that he trained under the Mandalorians, others told stories that he became a pirate or smuggler, there were even tales that he went on to be a freelance gun for hire. Truth was that no one, no one, knew the true story. Whoever Nicholas Wilde was, he was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Judy scanned the area again trying to see if she could identify him, but to no avail. A tod dressed in the standard uniform that told the patrons who were members of the staff came up to her table. Looking up at him, her eyes met a startling emerald green. “C-can I help you?” she asked with a slight stutter.

The tod chuckled softly. “If I’m not mistaken, I do think that’s supposed to be my line, ma’am.” he replied. Gesturing to the seat across from her, he inquired, “I was going on break when I noticed you all by your lonesome. If you’d like, I can sit with you until the mammal you’re waiting for appears.”

“Ah, certainly.” Judy nodded to the empty seat. “Please, by all means. I’m simply early for an appointment. A habit of mine.” She watched the tod sit across from her with a smile. “May I inquire to whose company I share?”

“Oh, right. Apologies. I’m Nick.” the tod answered. “I’m sorry for my rudeness. It’s just that I was so lost in your eyes. They’re such a lovely amethyst.” He gave her a warm smile. “I beg pardon, but I don’t know your name. So, with whom do I have the honor of sharing company?”

Blushing from the unexpected compliment, Judy said, “Uh, I’m Judy Hopps, a Lt. Col. in the Empire’s military forces. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She kept her ears low to hide her blush from the tod. This only made him smile, however. “H-have you worked here long?”

“Oh, I don’t work here Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps.” Nick answered. “I’m just blending in to speak with the one mammal who has managed to pique my interest.” He saw her eyes widen to their maximum capacity. “Whatever you do, don’t draw attention to us. Pretend we’re merely to old friends meeting after who knows how long. We wouldn’t want someone to report suspicious activity to the authorities, would we?”

“No. No, we would not.” Judy replied. “So, a vulpine? I must admit I’m not so surprised. Your reputation precedes you. Though, there’s never been any indication of your species.” Leaning forward, she whispered, “You know, no one would think twice if they saw us leave together. I am a bunny, after all.” She watched as his eyes roamed over her figure, dilating a bit, before returning to her own. For some reason unknown to her, the thought that he found her attractive was amazingly welcomed.

“As tempting as that sounds, I’d rather not.” Nick stated, with a small rumble in his voice. “I’m going to stand, shake your paw, then leave. During the pawshake, I’m going to slip you an earpiece. Once I’m out of sight, you’re to put it in. You’ll be connected to my own encrypted commchannel. Understood?”

Nodding her understanding, Judy stood with Nick, shook his paw, took the earpiece, then watched as he walked away. Slipping the earpiece into her ear, she was surprisingly greeted by a feminine voice.

“Hello, Ms. Hopps. My names Skye. I’m Nick’s backup for this op. Check your 10 o’clock. I’m the arctic vixen.”

Looking in said direction, Judy did indeed see the arctic vixen sitting at a table, seemingly casually sipping a drink while in the company of a fennec fox tod.

“Ignore Skye, Fluff.” Nick’s voice came over the commchannel. “She’s our improv specialist. That fennec tod with her is Finnegan ‘Finn’ Finley. Don’t let his size fool you. He’s got more strength in that diminutive body of his.”

“Aw, you’ve already got one of your patented ‘Nick’-names for her. Gal, you’re truly something special if he’s given you one of those.” Skye said dreamily.

“Shut it, Skye.” a gruff voice, probably Finn’s, stated. “We’ve got an issue. Look who just walked on in.”

Everyone discreetly looked toward the entrance.

Judy felt annoyance fill her as she perceived Lawrence Frostwolf and Gary Timberstein enter the establishment. Those two were the Empire’s top agents when it came to locating, hunting, and tracking down their target, or targets, of interest. “Fuck.”

“Looks like they’re heading your direction, Carrots.” Nick mumbled. “Okay, guys. Let’s do this. Plan B.”

The moment Larry and Gary reached her, Judy smiled up at them. “Majors Frostwolf and Timberstein. To what do I owe this honor?”

The two wolves shared a glance before boxing in the bunny doe. They’re new positions gave them full view of the entire cantina. Larry said, “We were ordered to watch you. Some…discrepancies have been discovered regarding your activities.”

“Hm. Is that so?” Judy stated, taking a sip of her drink. “Please, inform me about what I’ve supposedly done to draw this kind of attention.”

Nick casually made his way to Skye and Finn while keeping a close eye on the Lt. Col. “Okay. We need a plan. Ideas?”

Skye sighed. “I guess I’m up.” Standing, she sauntered over to Judy’s table with a seductive sway in her step. “Hello, boys. Mind gracing me with your company for a bit? I’m kind of lonely and none of these other mutts seem interested.”

Finn rolled his eyes from where he sat as he watched Gary begin to follow Skye towards the unisex restroom. “I swear, one of these days she’s going to meet someone that’ll actually manage it.” Downing his drink, he made his way over to Nick, who was holding polite conversation with a arctic tod. Bumping into Nick, Finn slipped a tranq dart into his pocket. “I’ll get the bun, Boss. You go get the speeder ready.”

Nick bade the arctic tod farewell and made his way outside. Upon exiting the Fox Den Cantina, however, he saw that things were far more complicated than that. There were Zootopian Police Department officers surrounding the building. ‘ _Shit!’_ “Guys, we’ve got law enforcement on premises.”

Judy, privy to the conversation between Nick and his team, smiled up at Larry. “Hey? Out of curiosity, do you find me so dangerous that you’ve called for local backup?” Her question had the intended effect of making Larry look at her. “You do, don’t you? That’s kind of pathetic. I mean, a _wolf_ afraid of a _bunny_? For shame, Major Frostwolf. For shame.” She shook her head to complete the image.

Finn had to stifle a bark of laughter at the sight of the arctic wolf’s look of utter embarrassment. He slipped under their table unnoticed then positioned himself in between the arctic wolf’s legs. Popping the cap off the tranq dart’s syringe, he whispered, “Hey, bunny gal. Get ready to move.”

Outside, Nick was scanning the muzzles of the onsite officers, trying to see if he could find a bud of his. Finding him, Nick discreetly approached and tapped Officer Grizzoli, a polar bear. “Griz?” Nick whispered. “Hey? Griz?”

Yuri Grizzoli looked down at his hindpaws to find Nicholas Wilde. “What’re you doing here?”

“That bunny doe Lt. Col. you’re here about is a client of mine.” Nick replied in a low voice.

Groaning silently, Grizzoli sighed. “Crap.” Glancing around, the polar bear whispered, “I can probably get you a ten-minute window, but that’s pushing it. You’ll need to work fast.”

“Thanks, bub.” Nick replied. Into his comm, he said, “Ten minutes guys. Let’s getting cracking.”

Skye moaned as Gary ate her out in the bathroom stall. “Mmph. Ah. Such a good boy.” She released his head to allow him a chance to breath. When he leaned in for a kiss, she pinched a nerve cluster knocking him unconscious. “One down.” she said over the channel.

Finn huffed. “Before or after he got you off?” he asked. “If before, don’t come to me. I’m still not recovered from the last time.”

“Spoilsport.” Skye grumbled. She slipped out of the restroom, back towards their client’s table. “Excuse me? You’re buddy passed out on me in the restroom. I can’t wake him.”

As Skye said this, Finn jabbed the tranq into Larry’s penile base. The action was so well practiced that the wolf didn’t feel anything. Finn nudged the bunny’s hindpaw signaling her to get going.

“I’ll wait for you to get him then join you outside.” Judy told the arctic wolf. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got no reason to run.”

Larry nodded to her then stood to go to collect Gary. He didn’t make more than five steps before he collapsed from the effects of the tranq. The other patrons continued their own things, simply assuming the arctic wolf had had too much to drink.

Judy, Finn, and Skye made their way towards the exit where they met Nick in the speeder. The law enforcement officials were busy trying to obtain control of the riot that Officer Grizzoli had incited with the help of a few bystanders. The four took off towards their safehouse near the Docks. 

As they arrived, Judy asked, “Is it weird that I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t some big blaster firefight?” Surprisingly, she was answered with a round of chuckles. “I guess not.”

Entering the safehouse, they all sat around the small table set in the center of the room. Nick shot Skye a glare, saying, “Don’t you dare say what I know you’re about to say, Skye.” He watched her roll her eyes then nod. “Good.” Smiling at the bunny doe, Nick said, “Let’s discuss the details of your request. You want us to help you defect to the Republic, provide protection, and transport you to the Republic capital world of Coruscant. Is that correct?”

Nodding, Judy replied, “It is. I’m willing to pay you my entire savings in return. It’s approximately 5 million credits.” She had been saving every single credit earned to pay for this chance.

Finn and Skye gawked at the sum the bunny doe was willing to pay. Nick, for his part, kept an expressionless face at the announcement. Internally, Nick’s found himself waging a war between mind and heart. There was something about this doe that captivated him. Another part told him that it wasn’t safe to forge a connection with her. For once in his life, Nick decided to go with his heart. “Okay, here’s what I’m going to do. We’ll take your contract. But, no payment until the task is 100% complete. For some reason, I have a feeling that if we stick with you we’ll end up on the adventure of a lifetime.”

Over the next several hours, they started preparing their things for travel. Nick and Skye made their way to the spaceport in order for them to prepare their starship, the Night Howler. Being just the two of them, Finn and Judy remaining at the safehouse until Skye went to retrieve them, Nick said, “Go ahead and say it. I know it’s killing you.”

“You’re soft on her, ain’t cha?” Skye giggled. “Oh, if only your mum could see you now. What do you think she’d say about her son having feelings for a bunny?” She kept giggling as Nick grumbled. “Come off it. You know I’m just poking fun. I must admit though, I know for a fact you're never taking the payment after we complete this mission. Ms. Hopps must be really special.”

“She really is.” Nick murmured softly. “I don’t know what it is about her Skye, but something tells me that she might be my One.” Sighing, he continued walking alongside Skye into the hanger. “It’ll be nice to fly this old gal again. It’s been way too long.” He smiled as he looked at the ship.

The Night Howler wasn’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill starship. Designed by Nick himself, it was truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The ship was outfitted with the best customizations available: a state of the art sickbay (furnished with beds and a bacta tank), a Class 0.4 Hyperdrive (which was faster than most military vessels), a pair of twin rapid-fire precision electromagnetic plasma cannons, a set of light Ion cannons, a voiceprinted navicomputer, and a military-grade reinforce and deflector shield. Nick had designed the Night Howler as an amalgamation of a _Fury_ -class interceptor, an assault ship, a picket craft, a light freighter, and a scout vessel. The Night Howler also had everything a pilot would want in his starship. It had garage (which housed Nick’s personal swoop bike), two sets of crew’s quarters, a large cargo hold, a communications room, a conference room, an armory, and the main hold had a long-range holoterminal. The hull was made of a special beskar stealth plating, which was only available from one company in the whole galaxy: MandalMotors. The Night Howler was considered both a transport vessel as well as a starfighter, boasting a level of maneuverability that was normally only seen with an Aurek-class tactical strikefighter.

“Hello, old gal! I’ve missed you.” Nick told the Night Howler, patting it affectionately. He and Skye entered the ship to get it ready for their new adventure. “Hey, Skye?” Nick asked, only to receive a questioning hum in return. “I want your honest opinion on something.”

“Yes! I _totally_ think you should court her!” Skye stated enthusiastically. She giggled at seeing Nick’s ears go red and fall flat against his head. Calming down and giving him a kind smile, Skye said, “Nick, after everything you’ve been through, I think it’s high time you do something that’ll make you happy. I know you’ve walked away from the Force ever since that day, but trust in it just this once.”

Nick sighed. It was true. Ever since that day just over a decade ago, Nick had walked away from the Force. Now, he was afraid. Afraid to trust in the Force, the one thing that has kept him alive for this long. Nick didn’t know if it was the Force that guided he and Judy into the collision course that had them meet, but, for once, he’d be willing to take a chance. “Alright.” Nick vowed, aloud. “I’m gonna do it. Let’s just hope that she’s receptive to it.”

<MEANWHILE>

Back at the safehouse, Judy was examining some of the weaponry and gear that was laying around. There were all types of blaster pistols, blaster rifles, grenades, armor, mods, and melee weapons. Glancing over at the fennec fox tod, Finn, if she recalled correctly, Judy asked, “Quite a collection all of you got here.” Her words got a chuckle from him. A tiny grin made its way to her muzzle. “You all preparing for war or something?”

Finn looked at her and gave a smirk. “Nah. All this is mainly Nick’s. He likes taking them apart and putting them back together in different ways.” Walking over, Finn picked up a modified heavy blaster. “This here, take a look at it and tell me if you notice what’s different.”

Inspecting the blaster closely, Judy noticed that there were a number of modifications to it. Among them were a Mark IV Accuracy Scope, a Mark III Precision Chamber, and an advanced Rylith power cell. “That’s a lot of firepower for a blaster.” she mused. “I’m sure it packs a punch. With an upgraded scope, power cell, and firing chamber such as these, it’s on par with a paw cannon.”

Nodding, Finn explained, “Kinda has to be. We’re a lot smaller than most mammals, so we need more powerful weaponry.” Patting his armored chest, he said, “Same thing with our armour. What does this look like to you?”

Studying the fennec’s armour, Judy couldn’t tell if it was an armoured flight suit or an ubese environmental one. “I’d say it’s an armoured environmental flight suit, though I’m prepared to be wrong.” The fennec grinned at her making Judy believe that she was at least partially right.

“You’ve got good observational skills, Bunny. That’s exactly what it is, but there’s a little more to it than that.” Finn stated. “Mark III ballistic shielding overlay paired with Mark V durasteel underlay. I don’t have that much natural maneuverability to begin with, therefore, my armour is designed to take punishment. All of us have customized our armour to fit our combat styles. Not only that, but we also utilize specialized gear that improves our natural abilities.”

“Oh? How so?” Judy inquired. She figured that it might be a good idea to consider asking permission to use some of this gear, seeing as they were now all viewed as enemies of the Empire and on the run. She watched as Finn held up his gloved paws. For a second, Judy didn’t quite understand until she realized that it was the gloves.

“These are dominator gauntlets.” Finn explained. “They grant me a boost in my physical strength. My belt is an Exchange Shadow Caster, a stealth field generator which minutely improves my dexterity and awareness. I’ve also got a health package implant as well.” Cracking his neck, Finn said, “We’re constantly having to watch our six, so we tend to make sure that we have the most optimal equipment and gear in order for us to live another day.”

After a moment of thought, Judy asked, “Would it be possible to borrow some gear from you all? We are currently on the run from the Empire, and I don’t exactly have any with me.” She felt bad having to ask for more than what they had already agreed upon.

Finn snorted then proceeded to the smaller sized mammal area. Selecting some reinforced fiber armour, he brought it back to the bunny Lt. Col. “Here you go. You’ll have to wait until we meet Nick at the hanger before we get you some more. All this stuff is mediocre compared to what he has stored aboard the Night Howler.”

Thanking him, Judy donned the armour. It was surprisingly a nice fit. A thought that it may have formerly been Finn’s crossed her mind, but she wasn’t going to complain. “How long until Skye comes back to collect us?” Judy queried.

“Depends on the state of the ship.” Finn answered. “Preflight checks can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Plus, they have to make sure it has enough supplies onboard to last us the entirety of our journey.” Peering at the timepiece he kept on him, he said, “She should return relatively soon. Unless, of course, the two of them run into trouble.”

“Mind telling me a little about all of you?” Judy requested. “All I know is what I’ve heard via rumors. I’ve heard of Nick, but you and Skye are mysteries.”

“Heh.” Finn chuckled. “Don’t believe everything you’ve heard about Nick. I’ll admit that most of it is true. Hell, almost all of it is true. But, there is a bit that’s farfetched. As for Skye and me, we’ve known Nick for a long ass time. I’m originally from Nar Shaddaa, formerly an Exchange thug. That’s how I got my belt. Skye’s from Tundratown here on Zootopia. She was formerly a smuggler that Nick convinced to join us after saving her tail.”

“W-wha-what type of relationship do they have?” Judy asked quietly. “Are they…are they mates?” One of the few things that Judy had a hard time admitting was her sexual preferences. She wasn’t attracted to rabbit bucks or bunny does like most other Leporidae. No, Judy was attracted to red fox tods. As Fate and the Force would apparently have it, that’s exactly the species of one Nicholas Wilde.

Finn studied the bunny doe closely. Her ears were still perked high, conditioned to remain that way after hours of intense military training he guessed, allowing him to see them fully flushed. A sense of hope filled him for the first time in years. ‘Looks like Nick could have a chance at happiness’ Finn mused mentally. “Nah, those two are more like brother and sister than anything else.” When she relaxed, he added, “Besides, she’s not his type.”

Ears perking up again, Judy swallowed nervously. “What would his type be, exactly?” A spark of anxious anticipation for the answer filled her chest.

“I wouldn’t know. I just know that Skye ain’t it.” Giving her a smirk, Finn said, “You might have a chance, if that’s what you’re wondering. But just so you know, Nick’s not your ordinary tod. He’s got a lot of secrets too. If you’re going to go after him, be prepared for all kinds of shit. M’kay?”

Feeling a mixture of excitement and fear, Judy took a deep breath to calm herself. Nodding, she set about checking what type of mods her armour had. Her ear swiveled at the sound of someone entering the safehouse. Judy watched as Skye came in, walked towards the armoury, then begin to equip gear of her own. “We’re all set to go?”

“Almost, Lt. Col. Hopps.” Skye replied. “Once we reach the ship, we’ll take off, and then we have to make a quick stop before we head towards Coruscant. I just hope that our actions at the Fox Den Cantina haven’t drawn too much unwanted attention.”

~

The Imperial Spire - Zootopia

~

“What do you mean they got away!? How the hell did you fail in such a simplistic task!?” the Imperial Minister, Dawn Bellwether, shrieked at Larry and Gary. “How do you lose a damn bunny in a canid bar?”

Neither Larry nor Gary had an answer for the question. They stood fearfully before the Imperial Minister, awaiting their punishment. They considered themselves lucky when they were ordered to leave. “I can’t believe we failed.” Larry mumbled to Gary. “We’ve never failed.” Gary had no response.

Dawn looked at her most trusted advisor, Douglas Ramses. “Tell me that you have some idea of how to fix this. Lt. Col. Hopps cannot be allowed to defect. She knows too much. If she makes it to the Republic, years of preparation will be for naught.” Dawn could see years of planning and careful preparation for the Empire’s largest scaled assault fall through because of this one bunny. A bunny that Dawn herself had chosen from numerous recruits to serve as a member of Vanguard, the Empire’s most elite troops.

Ramses shook his head. “I have none. Unfortunately, we are now aware that the Lt. Col. has assistance. As for who is helping her, we don’t have any indication. She never used any of the normal channels of communication nor did she utilize any of her regular contacts. We have no idea how she managed this.” Beginning to pace, Doug said, “All of this says, ‘carefully planned’, but at the same time it says, ‘spontaneous’. Whoever she hired, they’re quite good. Not only have they managed to evade our notice, but they did it here, on Zootopia. They have to be experts at this to pull that off.”

“What do you suggest we do then?” Dawn inquired, hotly. “We can’t let her ruin years of preparation and planning. Surely, there’s something we can do?” Dawn’s thoughts started racing to find a solution to this problem. Beeping at her desk holocommunicator drew Dawn’s attention. Fear flooded her at the thought that it was one of the Dark Council members, or worse, the Emperor. Accepting the call, she greeted, “Hello?”

The holo-image of the Dark Lord Savage stared at Dawn with vehemence. “You’ve made a grievous error, Minister Bellwether. I hope that you’re planning on rectifying this mistake. The Emperor wasn’t pleased when word reached him that you’ve failed to apprehend the defector.”

“M-my Lord, y-you’ve my s-sincerest apologies.” Dawn stuttered. “I-I’m c-cur-currently g-going over m-my options.” Swallowing thickly, she said, “But, I should report that it would appear that she has help. The identity, or identities, of who is assisting her is unknown at this time. We’re doing our best to learn who is aiding Lt. Col. Hopps, but it will take time.”

“Time is not a luxury you can afford, Bellwether.” Savage replied with a tone that matched his name. “You have one standard month to fix this before I personally make it my responsibility, and believe me, if I must do so, then I’ll have you suffer a fate worse than death.” The holoimage disappeared as the transmission ended.

Dawn and Ramses shared a look. The Dark Lord Savage held the title of The Emperor’s Wrath. A Sith Warrior of the highest caliber, Savage was said to be nigh-immortal. Having survived countless battles against seemingly overwhelming odds, there was no doubt that Savage was the most ruthless Sith, second only to the Emperor himself. Knowing if they failed even once more that he would assume control was enough to spur them into action.

~

Chambers of the Supreme Chancellor - Coruscant

~

Leodore Lionheart stood looking out the windows of his inner office chambers across the vast planet of Coruscant. As the Supreme Chancellor, Lionheart was responsible for the wellbeing of the citizens of the Galactic Republic. However, this war they were engaged in with the Empire had caused many to lose more than they could afford. His good friend, General Kemp Bogo, had lost his home, his wife, and his parents in the destruction of his homeworld. Now, General Bogo led military campaigns against those responsible with a vengeance. Commanding troops of every gender and species, Bogo was the kind of mammal Leodore desired to be, but was too cowardly. Sighing, Supreme Chancellor Lionheart lowered his head. It was in this position that Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford found him.

Fenrir Wolford had been a strong supporter of Supreme Chancellor Lionheart since the beginning of his term. He felt that the lion had a good head on his shoulders. The wolf approached Lionheart slowly as not to startle him. “Your Excellency.” Wolford greeted, bowing. Straightening himself, Fenrir said, “I’ve come bearing news. The Strategic Information Service has learned of an Imperial that wishes to defect. Reports show that she was a member of the Empire’s Vanguard. However, they’ve lost all trace of her after an incident at the Fox Den Cantina on Zootopia.”

Lionheart raised his head, turned to look at Jedi Master Wolford, and blinked. “A female in the Empire’s Vanguard?” he asked, incredulously. “I wasn’t aware of such a thing. I thought that all members were male.” Waving a paw, he said, “Never mind. That’s beside the point. This Imperial wants to defect? And our SIS agents have lost her trail? How does that happen?”

Wolford shrugged as he looked out the window to view the city-planet. “She does. We don’t know how she’s managed to give us the slip, but she has. SIS has theorized that she’s enlisted the assistance of somebody skilled in evading detection, like a smuggler, or possibly a freelance mercenary with espionage training. Either way, any kind of data she provides us with would be of immense value to our war efforts. The only issue is we don’t know when, or even if, she’ll get here. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Glancing back out the window, Lionheart said, “Then we shall wait, but General Bogo must be informed of this. We can _not_ allow an opportunity like this to slip away from us.” Getting confirmation from Jedi Master Wolford, Lionheart bade him farewell as the wolf departed. Lionheart closed his eyes and allowed himself to smile. _‘Hope!’_ he thought to himself. _‘A glimmer of hope has made itself known. Thank the Force and may it continue to guide us.’_

~

Jedi Temple - Coruscant

~

The Jedi Temple pulsated with life. Younglings roamed the corridors as Jedi Knights and Masters conversed with one another. A lone vixen watched the various interactions take place before her eyes with a sense of sadness. Sighing, her thoughts wandered to her wayward kit. It had been years since she had seen him, years since his presence had graced the halls of this Jedi Temple. Sensing someone walk up beside her, a smile crossed her face as she said, “Master Shifu, it has been too long. How are things on Tython? Not too bad, I hope. I really should make preparations to return there soon.”

Chuckling, Master Shifu shook his head. “No, it’s not bad at all. I just came to see how things were here.” Shifu smiled as he saw the younglings try their paw at lifting a moderately sized stone with the Force. “I see we have quite a few initiates this time around.”

“Indeed.” the vixen replied. “Many of them are quite strong in the Force. They will make wonderful Jedi Knights, regardless of which path they take.” Gesturing for Shifu to follow her, the vixen asked, “So, what is the true purpose for this visit? I doubt this was only to get an assessment of how things are going. You never leave Tython unless it’s of the utmost importance.”

“You’re truly one of the most perceptive mammals I have the pleasure of knowing.” Shifu answered. “You’re correct. I do have an ulterior motive for coming to visit you.” Waiting for her to give him permission to continue, Shifu watched as she opened the turbolift to the chambers of the Jedi High Council. Stepping inside, he was given permission to continue after the doors closed. “I’ve felt a powerful disturbance in the Force. One of titanic proportions.”

“So, I wasn’t imagining things earlier.” the vixen mused. “I felt it as well. I doubt the Sith Emperor is unaware of it.” Her thoughts strayed towards her memories of him. She remembered his kind eyes, his warm smile, both full of truly unconditional love for her. She recalled the moment that they broke one of the ancient tenants of the Jedi Order’s teachings, the realization that she was with kit. Her paw unconsciously went to rest on her womb at the memory.

Shifu noticed this, and he felt her sadness through the Force. “I have no doubt that he felt it as well.” Placing a comforting paw on the vixen’s shoulder, Shifu said, “Dwell not upon the past. It will do no good, for it cannot be changed.” Even as he said this, his own memories replayed within his mind. The brilliant gleam in his eyes at learning something new. Shifu had at one time taught the Sith Emperor prior to his supposed fall. Both he and the vixen beside him, however, knew the truth. The Sith Emperor wasn’t the reviled monstrosity that the galaxy perceived him as, but a mammal who had taken the role as the necessary evil that the Force required him to be. ‘Sometimes it isn’t a hero that is required, but a monster.’ Those had been the words the Sith Emperor had spoken when the Jedi High Council of the time had exiled him. Shifu could recall exactly how it felt when he had heard him say those words. It had been as though the Force had used the Sith Emperor as a conduit to speak directly to them.

“I know.” the vixen whispered. The door of the turbolift opened, revealing the chambers of the Jedi High Council. Making her way to her seat, the vixen gestured for Shifu to take the one beside her. “I miss him.” she admitted in a quiet voice. “I miss both of them.”

Sighing, Shifu replied, “I know you do. I miss them too.” Shifu still couldn’t understand how the vixen, the Sith Emperor, and their child had become such a central part of his life. “However, the Force is guiding them as it deems fit. Trust in the Force, for it has always led all the way they needed.” They sat there together in silence until Shifu said, “You know, I have a strange feeling that your kit is responsible for that disturbance. I have no way of knowing if that’s true, but that’s what I feel.”

The vixen couldn’t help but laugh. “I feel the same way. My wayward kit is always causing some type of disturbance after all. Why would this time be any different.?” Standing, she walked to the window to look out over the thriving city-planet of Coruscant. “If there’s one thing that I, Valeria Wilde, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, know to be an absolute truth, it’s that my kit, Nicholas, is one who loves to create a disturbance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope that you all find this story interesting enough to read, subscribe, kudos, and/or comment. If not, I'm not that bothered. This story is mainly for my son anyway. The Zootopian Directive should have an update by this coming Thursday. My hope of an early release for Chapters 10 & 11 isn't going as planned. My wife and kids are starting to run me all over the place. Apparently, unlike me, they don't do their Christmas shopping in advance. I had mine done by Halloween. Anyway, let me know what you all think.


	3. Chapter Two: Those Within the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly more character introductions plus a little insight into how things play out. Kris will be a recurring character, but not a major player in the story until a bit later. Also, like my other story there are Easter Eggs. Prizes will be awarded to those who can spot them. Note: Shifu is not one. I needed a character that fit that role and I found Shifu to be best. He makes a good Yoda.
> 
> Also, leave a comment with your thoughts. I do so enjoy reading them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Episode VIII was...better than the last. They still have a few things to iron out, but they did...decently. *cringes* My group had mixed responses to it. We gave it a B+ grade. I did however take a lot of notes to use for this story. I have some questions in the End Notes that I'll need you all to help answer.

** Chapter Two: Those within the Shadows **

* * *

~~

**_ Zootopian Spaceport – The Docks – Zootopia _ **

~~

As Judy walked into the hanger, her jaw dropped. The _Night Howler_ had to be the most exotic starship she had ever seen. Entering via the boarding ramp into the ship’s garage, Judy found herself in utter awe at the overall interior of it. The only word that came to her mind was ‘gorgeous’. She followed Skye through the ship and into the cockpit. “This is…indescribable.”

“Glad you think so.” Nick stated as he turned his seat to look at her. _‘Oh, wow.’_ he thought once he saw Judy outfitted in the reinforced fiber armour. Realizing he hadn’t said anything for a couple of seconds, Nick cleared his throat. “Has Skye told you about our little detour?” he inquired, returning to his original task.

Judy climbed into one of the open seats. “Not in detail.” she answered. “She explained that we’ve got to make a quick stop prior to making our way to Coruscant, but other than that, nothing.” Fastening herself down, Judy asked, “Where exactly are we going?”

“Well, you see,” Nick began. “I’ve got a package awaiting me on Dantooine. I’ve been putting off collecting it, but the mammal that I have holding it contacted me saying that if I don’t come pick it up he’ll resell it to someone else.”

“Dantooine?” Judy asked, quiet as a whisper. Memories of her kithood flashed through her mind. “In which settlement will we be landing?” She prayed that Nick would reply with Bunnyburrow. If he did, Judy wondered if he’d let her try and see her family.

“The settlement of Bunnyburrow.” Nick answered. “Why? Do you have family there?” he inquired, glancing over his shoulder. Seeing only the upward motion as the end of her nod, Nick sighed. “I’ll see if we have time for you to see your family, but no promises. Besides, I’d wager that the Empire has a surveillance operative keeping a close eye on your family, to see if you try contacting them.”

Judy’s ears drooped at the realization that Nick was right. “I don’t have to talk to them. I…I just want to see them. I need to know that they’re alright.” It had been far too many months since she last seen any family.

Skye, who had been sitting quietly in the copilot’s seat, peered at Nick out of the corner of her eye. She knew as well as he did that it would be nearly impossible to let Judy see her family. Dantooine was heavily occupied by Imperial troops. Initiating launch procedures, Skye said, “We’ll be taking off in a few seconds. Finn, you better brace yourself!”

The sound of the vertical thrusters could be heard as they powered up. The ship jostled a bit as it began to slowly rise into the air. Through the cockpit’s viewport, everyone could see as the ship hovered midair in the direction of the hanger’s magcon field.

“Here we go.” Nick stated, as he activated the ship’s Delta-C Tri-thruster. With a skillful paw, he guided the _Night Howler_ out of the hanger. “Alright, let’s…” Nick couldn’t finish his sentence as the ship’s sensors started to go off. “We’ve got company inbound.”

“Shit.” Skye exclaimed. “How the fuck did they find us so quickly? Don’t answer that!” Taking over the piloting for the ship, Skye said, “Nick, you better start logging an escape route into the navicomputer. I’ll try and lose them. Lt. Col.? You know how to use a point-defense light ion cannon?”

“I do. Where are they located?” Judy asked, unstrapping herself from her seat. Hearing Finn call for her to follow him, she met him in the main hold near a hatch. Taking a headset from the fennec tod, she entered the hatch and followed it to the dorsal light ion cannons while Finn made his way to their ventral counterpart. Getting into position, Judy said, “I’m in position.”

“Same here.” Finn replied. “Skye? You the one driving this thing? Or is it Nick? Either way, you better start moving. They’re coming up on us fast.”

Nick finished inputting the data into the _Night Howler_ ’s astrogation computer then retook control of piloting the ship. “Hang on to something. This is going to be one hell of a ride.” Throwing the _Night Howler_ into a barrel roll just in time to evade incoming laser-fire. Navigating through the various tall structures that made up the cityscape of Zootopia, Nick hollered, “How’re we doing?”

Blasting an TIE Reaper out of the sky, Judy yelled, “I’m fine. How about you, Finn?” She blasted another starfighter, this one a cruisemissile assault craft, away with a shot directly to its engine as the fennec let out an almost maniac laugh. “I’ll take that as an _‘Oh, I’m great. Having the time of my life!’_.”

Skye chuckled at the bunny’s words. “Ignore him, LC. He always gets like this when we find ourselves in a dogfight.” The ship rocked as it received a hit. “How much longer ‘til we reach the jump point?” she asked Nick.

“Almost there.” Nick muttered. “Just a little further.” Steering the _Night Howler_ towards the Twin Towers, Nick accelerated. “Wait for it. Wait for it.” he whispered to himself. “NOW!” At the last possible instant, Nick, instead of swerving away, tilted the _Night Howler_ to slip through the narrow gap in between the two towers, then hit the throttle, jumping to hyperspace. Enabling the autopilot, Nick let out a loud whoop.

Judy released a sigh of relief. Taking off her headset, she ran a paw across her forehead and down her muzzle. Closing her eyes, Judy let herself relax for a bit before rejoining the others in the main hold. Nick was the first one she saw. Sending him a smile, Judy was nearly knocked forward by Finn, who gave her a strong pat on the back. She saw Skye send her a salute and reciprocated the gesture.

Leaning up against one of the bulkheads, Nick took in the sight of Skye and Finn treating Judy like one of their own. A tiny smile made its way across his muzzle as he watched them. Returning to the cockpit, he doublechecked to make sure they were indeed bound for Dantooine using the _Night Howler_ ’s galaxy map. His ear twitched as he heard someone come up behind him. Peering over his shoulder, Nick found Skye looking at him. “There something you need, Skye?”

Shaking her head, Skye said, “No, just wanted to find out what you were doing. Judy was a little concerned when she noticed you disappeared. She asked me to check on you.” She sat down in one of the seats. “She did good. Shot down the more difficult starfighters that not even most flyboys I know or have seen could take out.”

“Yeah.” Nick replied. “She did really well.” Taking a seat, Nick stared out the viewport. “It makes me wonder, though. Do you think she could be a Forceful?”

“I wouldn’t be too surprised if that turned out to be true.” Skye answered. “But, I’m not a Forceful, so I wouldn’t know. The real questions are: do you think she’s one? If so, then why haven’t you felt it yet?”

Nick sighed and rubbed his eyes. “It isn’t uncommon for a someone who’s a Forceful to keep it secret within Imperial space. If a Forceful is found in the Empire, they’re sent directly to Korriban for training to become a member of the Sith Order.” Leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, Nick said, “Dantooine is under heavy Imperial control. If she’s originally from there, then I’m not at all surprised that she’s keeping it a secret.”

They sat there silently, listening to Finn and Judy have a conversation in the main hold. Skye then said, “It’s nice, don’t you think? Having people onboard the _Night Howler_. Gives the ship a sense of…family.” The arctic vixen turned to look at Nick, only to find that he had fallen asleep. With a warm smile, she got up and, after making sure that Judy wasn’t spying on them, placed a chaste, featherlight peck to Nick’s cheek. “Sleep well.” She then went and rejoined Finn and Judy.

~~

**The chambers of Dark Council – Korriban**

~~

For the first time in nearly a decade, every member of the Dark Council was present on Korriban. Lord Savage looked from one of his councilmates to another as they entered their meeting chamber. As the Emperor’s Wrath, he held the most power amongst them. The arrival of Dark Lady Swinton was a surprise to all, as she hardly ever attended any of their meetings. “Now that we’re all here, let us begin.” Lord Savage announced. “As you have all been made aware, a defector as managed to escape from our grasp. This traitor was chosen to take part in our largest ever scaled assault against the Republic and Jedi Order. With her defection, that stratagem is no longer a possibility. We must now conceive a new course of action in which to smite our nemeses.”

Lord Critias, a black-furred wolf and Sith Marauder, asked, “Is it not possible that we could simply just kill this treasonous quisling before they reach Republic space? If we did that, would we not still have the ability to pull off our original plan?” There was a sound of agreement from each and every one of the other council members. Lord Critias was the only one among them that could rival Lord Savage in both mastery of the Force and that of the lightsaber. Most of the other council members viewed him as the mammal the Emperor should have bestowed the title of Emperor’s Wrath. However, he neither wanted the title nor did he believe that anyone other than Lord Savage deserved it. As a result, his relationship with Lord Savage was one of mutual respect.

“If only it were that easy, my friend.” Lord Savage answered. “The defector has gone missing and there is no trace as to her whereabouts. Even our best agents haven’t been able to locate where she is, nor have they managed to discern exactly where she’s going.” He could tell his words were met with disbelief by expressions on the muzzles of the other Dark Council members. Lord Savage watched as they began to discuss amongst themselves in hushed whispers. Dark Lady Swinton, however, seemed to simply accept the news with ease, which raised Lord Savage’s suspicion until he remembered that she just didn’t give a damn one way or any other.

“What do you propose then, Lord Savage?” Lord Critias inquired. “You obviously had a contingency plan in place. Knowing you like I do, there is no doubt in my mind that you have one.”

“You know me too well, Lord Critias, for I do have a proposal for the rest of you.” Lord Savage replied. “I have called you all to hear your thoughts on commissioning a clone army from the planet Kamino. Those that live there possess the most state-of-the-art cloning technology available. They are capable of creating vast amounts of clones within very little time as well as creating altered clones. By doing so, we would command a military force greater than that of the Grand Army of the Republic.” His proposal was met with sounds of agreement from everyone. “Good. Now that that one is out of the way, I have another. I think we should also perform a diversionary attack upon the planet of Telos IV to draw as much of the Republic’s military forces away from our real goal as we can.” This suggestion was also met with noises of approval. “Excellent. Unless someone else has anything that must be discussed, I think we can declare this meeting adjourned. Lord Critias, if you would remain behind, there is one last subject that I must discuss with you.”

Once the two of them were alone, Lord Critias stood and approached the jackrabbit dark lord. “May I inquire what it is that this concerns, Lord Savage?” It wasn’t often that the jackrabbit wished to speak with him in private, but when it did happen there was always a very good reason. “Does this have to do with the defector? Or does it have to do with that massive disturbance we felt within the Force?”

“Both.” Lord Savage stated. “I have a feeling that she was at the epicenter of the disturbance.” He wasn’t entirely certain of that fact, yet that was what he felt. Lord Savage had had the bunny doe’s records delivered to him earlier. Nothing within her records indicated that she was a Forceful, but that meant nothing. There were many that hid the fact they were Force-sensitive to avoid being sent to Korriban for training. “I cannot say with certainty that she isn’t a Forceful. While there is no clear documentation, her military records show indications that she is one.”

“I’m sensing that this worries you.” Lord Critias observed. In all the time he knew the jackrabbit, he never once saw him so troubled. It simply never happened. To Lord Critias’s knowledge, Lord Savage wasn’t the type of mammal to feel unease. “What is it about this defector that has you in such a state?”

Drumming his digits, Lord Savage stared up at the ceiling. “The Emperor has decreed that she is to not be harmed. Therefore, I’m concerned that this doe plays some part in whatever his has planned in the future. What bothers me the most, however, is that I have no clue to what he’s planning. Why has he deemed this doe worthy of his protection?” Shaking his head, Lord Savage murmured, “I cannot deduce the answer. I fear the Emperor may be keeping a secret from us, his most trusted servants.”

“Careful, Savage. It is not our place to challenge the Emperor.” Lord Critias warned. “You may be the Emperor’s Wrath, but that won’t save you if he chooses to end your existence.” Folding his arms across his chest, the black-furred wolf said, “For now, simply be patient and observe. I’m sure you will discover the reason for the Emperor’s decision in due time.” Having said that, Lord Critias departed, leaving Lord Savage to his thoughts.

~~

** Ord Mantell – Mid Rim **

~~

The blast of a turbolaser cannon blew the top half of a nearby Republic AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer), but General Kemp Bogo didn’t even flinch as he continued to march across the battlefield towards Fort Garnik. Firing his dual heavy blaster pistols, he shot a platoon of oncoming enemy combatants. Hearing pawsteps approaching from behind him, Bogo spun and released a blaster bolt before realizing that it was Jedi Knight Harrison Wolford, who casually batted the bolt aside with his lightsaber. “Sorry.” Bogo told the wolf.

“It’s fine.” Harrison replied as he walked up to the General. “I’d be more worried if you _hadn’t_ just tried to shoot me.” Without even looking to his right, Harrison thrust his right paw out and used the Force to send an Imperial troop flying into the line of fire from an Imperial TIE ap-1, or TIE Mauler, which then was then struck by the discharge of an ion cannon from Fort Garnik. Hearing a loud roar, he, as well as Gen. Bogo, turned to see a rather large tigress send Imperial troops soaring through the air left and right using nothing more than sheer brute strength, much like a barbarian. Sighing, Harrison looked at Gen. Bogo. “You want to do it? Or shall I?”

Inhaling a large amount of air, Bogo shouted, “LT. COL. FANGMEYER!!” His outburst echoed across the battlegrounds frightening both Republic and Imperial troops alike. Bogo’s yell also did as it was intended and drew Lt. Col. Fangmeyer’s attention to him and the Jedi Knight. Bogo watched as the tigress dropped the Imperial she had been holding by his throat in the air then make her way to them.

“Sir.” Zannah Fangmeyer responded, saluting. Nodding to the giant wolf Jedi Knight, she greeted him saying, “Jedi Wolford.” Before the tigress could say anything further, a large chunk of metal impacted the ground not more than a dozen paces from them. Looking skyward, Fangmeyer screamed, “INCOMING!!”

The three of them all began racing closer to Fort Garnik as a military transport ship plummeted from the sky towards the planet surface. It slowly dawned on all three that they wouldn’t make it in time. Bogo halted, aimed his wrist launcher, and proceeded to fire one buster rocket after another, trying to break the damn thing apart. Harrison spun around, paws up, and attempted to use the Force in order to try redirecting the massive object’s trajectory. Taking position on a midsized boulder, Zannah fired her blaster rifle at all the Imperial troops that were attempting to shoot her comrades. The damage Bogo’s rockets did to the shuttle eventually reached the point that Harrison was able to the Force and rip the damn thing in half, each one going in separate directions.

“Whew! That was a close one.” Harrison huffed out before batting aside a storm of blaster-fire. “Let’s get moving.” Harrison ordered. He, Bogo, and Fangmeyer started a quick, short retreat into Fort Garnik, returning fire and reflecting blaster bolts back at the advancing Imperial troops. When they reached the entrance to the Fort, Harrison threw his lightsaber like a batarang, striking down a couple of Imperial soldiers before returning to his paw. His lightsaber just made it back before the gate sealed shut. Nodding towards the gate guard, he shifted to stare at General Bogo, who was holstering his weapons.

Seeing the wolf’s eyes on him, Bogo said, “Let’s get to the communications bunker. If I’m not mistaken both Supreme Chancellor Lionheart and Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford wish to speak with both of us.” Turning to face Lt. Col. Fangmeyer, he added, “You, of course, are welcome to come, as your insightfulness tends to have great benefits.” Leading the two of them towards the comm bunker, Bogo would nod to his fellow soldiers.

“You alright?” Lt. Col. Fangmeyer asked the wolf Jedi, who appeared to be a bit of pain. “You’re favoring your right hindpaw.” Seeing his grimace, she huffed. “Sit down and let me tend to it, you moron.” the tigress ordered.

“After we speak to Chancellor Lionheart and Master Wolford.” Harrison promised her. “For the two of them to contact us, it has to be important.” He continued to make his way to the communications bunker with Zannah following him. When he stumbled, she caught him. “Sorry.”

“You’re so bloody damn stubborn.” Zannah muttered. She supported him the entire way to the comm bunker. When they entered, the Chancellor and Master Wolford’s holograms were up. Sitting Harrison down in an open seat, Fangmeyer got to work examining his right hindpaw.

“Got yourself wounded?” the holo-image of Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford asked of his grandson. “That isn’t like you at all. General, what the hell is happening over there on Ord Mantell?”

“An influx of Imperial reinforcements, supplies, and ordinance.” Bogo replied, matter-of-factly. “That and the planet is under Imperial quarantine, which means that none of our own are getting through before being blasted out of the sky. Plus, we just barely managed to outrun one of our own military cargo shuttles that the Imperials shot down.”

“I see.” the Jedi Master stated. “Seems like things are beginning to become more difficult over there. I hope that what the Chancellor and I have to tell you is received as good news.”

“We have reason to believe that the Imperials are on the hunt for one of their own.” Chancellor Lionheart explained. “A bunny doe named Judith Laverne Hopps. She’s a Lt. Col. in the Empire’s Elite Vanguard as well as the only female within that unit. As a member, she had access to highly classified data and other sensitive materials. From what the Strategic Information Service has managed to compile on her, she holds no love for the Empire nor for those affiliated with it. There is a very good possibility that she’s attempting to defect to the Republic.”

Bogo couldn’t fight cracking a malicious smile. “That’s some of the best news I’ve heard in days, Chancellor.” His grin turned into a frown as a thought struck him. “Sir, you said that they are currently looking for her. Am I to believe that we also have no idea as to her whereabouts?”

Sighing heavily, Chancellor Lionheart answered, “That is correct. There’s also the fact that it appears she has enlisted help of some sort, as there is no way that she single-pawedly took out the Empire’s top tracers. Whoever is assisting her is well-versed in evading detection. SIS thinks they may be either a smuggler, a spy, or a freelance mercenary.”

“So, what do you want us to do?” Bogo inquired. “It’s not like we can do much out here. Besides, with the quarantine in place, it’s not like we can just leave the planet. Unless, of course, you’re ordering us to break through to find this Lt. Col. Hopps.” Bogo personally couldn’t wait to get off this rock. He had been stationed here far too long for his liking. If given the chance, he’d board his starship in a heartbeat.

“Actually, that exactly what we’re ordering you to do, General.” the wolf Jedi Master stated. “You, as well as Jedi Wolford, Lt. Col. Fangmeyer, and whoever else you deem necessary, are hereby ordered to try locating Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps plus those with her. You are then to escort them either to Coruscant or the nearest allied space station. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” Bogo responded. “I’ll have my crew ready within the hour. We’ll depart as soon as we can.” He saluted them before their holograms blinked out of existence. Turning to Jedi Wolford and Lt. Col. Fangmeyer, he asked, “Thoughts?”

“On what?” Harrison countered. “Who we should take with us? Or what we think about the situation as a whole?” In his own opinion, any chance to get an advantage over the Empire was a good thing. He had trained as a Jedi to protect and serve the mammals of the Republic. He was meant to be a guardian of peace, but now, he served amongst soldiers of every species as they tried to defend their way of life against the Empire and the Sith Order. The way of the Jedi’s tenants dictated that they were to use their power to defend and to protect while serving others for the greater good. The Jedi Code also decreed that they were to respect all forms of life, yet he himself had slain innumerous mammals. For him, discovering a way to end this forsaken war that required less bloodshed was a necessity.

Zannah Fangmeyer was by no means a Forceful, but she was adept at reading mammals. She was aware that Jedi Wolford found no pleasure in what he considered the needless slaughter of innocents. The tigress herself believed that there were many within the ranks of the Empire’s forces that had no other choice than serve them. Here was an opportunity to discover a way of bringing the war to an end, hopefully once and for all. “I think that this is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. What we have here is a chance to bring this all to an end. The real question is: Can we find Lt. Col. Hopps before the Empire does?”

“We must.” Bogo declared. “I want the two of you ready to depart within the hour. I shall go see if there is anyone that is worthy of accompanying us on our mission.” Leaving them, he exited the communications bunker. There was one mammal that he believed would make a fine addition to their crew: SIS Agent Benjamin Clawhauser. The cheetah was an expert in getting anything anyone requisitioned, be it an item or information. Easy to talk to and so friendly one wouldn’t even imagine he was an SIS agent, Benjamin Clawhauser would be the perfect mammal to fill the role of Comm Officer. In all of Fort Garnik, there was only one place to find him: Avilatan's Rest Cantina.

Strategic Information Service Agent Benjamin Clawhauser wasn’t your standard cheetah, by any means. Unlike most examples of his species, Agent Clawhauser was fluffy. He hadn’t always been this way, having served as a comm officer for the infamous all-feline Pantherinae Brigade. Despite being their Comm Officer, he had often gotten deployed with the others acting also as their liaison between them, requisitions, and the SIS. On rare occasion did he take a more involved role in the missions. It had been one of those times when he had been hit with an, at the time, experimental prototype weapon the Empire had designed. The damage had been just severe enough to warrant his discharge from active military service. Thankfully, an associate of his with the SIS managed to locate an opening for him to fill with them.

Ord Mantell had been the cheetah’s assigned station for the last year and a half. He had seen many fresh, bright-eyed recruits come in thinking that they would soon find glory. Hardly any ever lasted more than a few dozen hours before learning war isn’t some kit’s game. Ben, however, always looked on the bright side of things. Despite the overwhelming odds, Fort Garnik, as well as the other Republic bases and outposts, had yet to fall into Imperial paws/hooves. This mainly had to do with who was leading the Republic’s forces here on Ord Mantell. The mammal in question had just now taken a seat across from him. “General Bogo.” SIS Agent Clawhauser greeted with a wide grin. “How can I be of assistance to you today?”

“I would like to know if it is possible for an SIS agent to be permanently assigned to a team and/or unit upon request.” Bogo stated before taking the drink that the passing waitress placed in front of him. He saw the look of surprise on the cheetah’s muzzle. “I ask because I’ve just been given a mission and I’ll need your help. I cannot, however, fill you in on the details until I know that you’re onboard.”

“Does this have anything to do with that Lt. Col. that’s trying to defect from the Empire?” Clawhauser inquired. It was his turn to witness the look of bewilderment cross the buffalo’s snout. “I’m SIS, General Bogo. We tend to keep all of our agents in the loop.” Seeing him nod, Clawhauser gave Bogo a tiny grin. “Yes, it is possible. You just have to go through the proper channels.” He took a sip of his drink before adding, “But, since this concerns something that’s been flagged as top priority, I think all you’ll have to do is make a single call to SIS HQ. I’ll go speak to the other two SIS agents and explain the situation to them, grab my belongings, then meet you out in front of the hanger.” As he walked off, Clawhauser thought, _‘I’m finally getting out of here and going on another new adventure. About damn time.’_

~~

**The Morningstar – en route to the planet Tython**

~~

Sitting aboard a modified CR90 Corvette across from Jedi Master Shifu wasn’t a regular occurrence for the vixen, so the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Valeria Wilde, chose to make the most of it. The two had played quite a few rounds of dejarik before the red panda stated he was done. “Aw, come on Master Shifu. One more game.” she pleaded.

“No.” Shifu retorted. “You’re already leading 21-0.” Standing, the red panda said, “I’m going to socialize with the other passengers. I’ll be back soon. Who knows, maybe I’ll be willing for another game by then.”

Watching as Shifu walked away, Valeria smiled and shook her head. Looking out the small viewport, she couldn’t help but wonder what to expect once they arrived on Tython. Thoughts of the planet found their way to forefront of her mind. Memories of a few dozen years ago surfaced. A moonlit stroll alongside the Sith Emperor, a kiss, a night of passionate love. Her smile turned melancholy.

_‘Valeria’_

Startled, the vixen sat up straight. It was like a whisper just on the edge of hearing, but she had heard it. Warmth filled her heart knowing that somewhere, wherever he was, the Sith Emperor was thinking of her as well. Closing her eyes, Valeria whispered, “J.” A feeling of longing welled up within her and she knew that he felt the same.

Shifu was speaking to a capybara when he felt a disturbance. “EVERYBODY BRACE!!” The impact happened the instant he finished shouting. The ship’s alarms started wailing, informing them all that they were under attack and to take emergency measures. Valeria was at his side immediately. “We must make for the bridge.” he told her.

Racing towards the ship’s bridge, they passed nearly every species of mammal. Weaving around them like fish swimming upstream against the current, Valeria and Shifu managed to reach the bridge with little to no difficulty. They saw the captain giving out orders to his crew.

Approaching the captain swiftly, Valeria asked, “What is the situation?” She made sure that her lightsaber was in view so that the captain was aware of what she was. Watching as the captain sighed, Valeria glanced at Shifu, whose eyes were trained at the sight outside the viewport. Shifting her attention to see what he was looking at, the vixen paled at what she found. Just outside the forward viewport was a Mega-class Super Star Destroyer. The sight of the starship left Valeria speechless.

“It appeared out of nowhere.” the Captain expressed to the two Jedi. “It didn’t show up on any of our sensors until after we physically saw it. That, however, isn’t our biggest issue. They aren’t the ones who are attacking us. In fact, they’re assisting us.” The Morningstar shook as another blast struck it. The captain continued, “We’re being attacked by the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). They’ve got squadrons of vulture droid firing at us.” The starship shuddered as yet another blast impacted the Morningstar.

Shifu asked, “Do we have anything that can combat these droid starfighters?” This time the impact was powerful enough to knock out the ship’s power. Shifu looked at Valeria with an expression of concern. “We have innocents aboard this ship, and we possibly have hostiles about to board. What do you suggest we do?”

Unhooking her lightsaber from her belt, Valeria stated, “We’re Jedi. We protect the mammals of the galaxy.” Walking towards the entranceway to the bridge, she added, “I suggest you prepare yourself to defend those aboard this ship.”

<MEANWHILE>

On the other side of the Morningstar, an entire unit of HK-43 assassin droids began to make their way through the ship led by a rather unique droid designated ‘Huntsmammal’. Looking around, ‘Huntsmammal’ said, “Statement: Find and capture targets. Leave no witnesses alive. Proceed.”

The other assassin droids began massacring the passengers during their search. A short while later, a group of nine came upon one of the targets, a red panda. “Statement: Halt. You are hereby ordered to surrender.” When the red panda ignited his yellow-coloured lightsaber, one of the droids stated, “Exclamation: Oh dear!”

Using the Force, Shifu sped forward slashing the foremost droid’s legs. The other droids reacted much quicker than he anticipated, but he managed to evade their counterattack. Thrusting his left paw out, he sent two droids flying into a nearby wall. As a hail of blaster fire came his way, Shifu used his lightsaber to redirect the bolts back at the droids. Seeing the ineffectiveness of such action, Shifu thought, _‘Damn. They’ve got thicker armour than I imagined. These droids must be newer models.’_ Continuing to bat the blaster bolts back towards the origins, Shifu wondered how Valeria was faring.

As it turned out, Valeria was doing much better than Shifu, despite dealing with more droids than the red panda. Then again, being a master of the Soresu lightsaber style tended to give one an edge when up against multiple opponents with blasters. Spinning and twirling her lightsaber in a dance-like performance, Valeria sent each bolt back to their original starting point with ease. However, like Shifu, it didn’t take long before she noticed the ineffectiveness of such actions. _‘Thicker armour simply means I have to destroy their weapons and target the less protected areas in-between their plating.’_ With a slight modification to her movements, Valeria began to redirect the fired bolt towards the droids’ blaster rifles. It only took a few seconds for her to eliminate their weapons, leaving them unarmed. “Now, I suggest that you all run along.”

The HK droids, instead of retreating, stepped to the side, making two rows, revealing ‘Huntsmammal’. ‘Huntsmammal’ walked forward towards the vixen, blowing his minions away with a single shot to their heads with each step. Coming to a halt before the vixen, ‘Huntsmammal’ tilted his head.in a very mammallike fashion. “Observation: You are quite formidable for an old vixen. Declaration: It pains me that I must kill you.”

“Why is that?” Valeria inquired. “I didn’t think I had a bounty on my head. Why must you kill me?” Wracking her brain, Valeria couldn’t think of any reason for an assassin droid to come after her. “If you’ve been tasked to kill me, please inform me of whom requested it of you.” She watched the HK assassin droid right its head for a moment before nodding.

“Statement: That is a reasonable request.” ‘Huntsmammal’ stated. “Continuation: You should not be here. My target was a red panda named Shifu. Your presence was an unforeseen circumstance. However, I was instructed to leave no witnesses.”

“The name of the mammal who hired you. What was it?” Valeria insisted. “I request their name.”

“Answer: The mammal who requested the assassination of Jedi Master Shifu is unknown.” ‘Huntsmammal’ informed. “Clarification: The contract was issued through a broker by the client to hide their identity. I have no knowledge to who they are.”

“I see.” Valeria stated. “Is there any way to have to forgo the contract and let him live?” Now, she was simply stalling for time. She could still feel Master Shifu’s presence, and it was on the move towards her. If she could simply hold out for a few more seconds, that’s all she needed.

“Statement: No.” ‘Huntsmammal’ raised his blasters and leveled them at the vixen. “Statement: Again, it pains me, but I must kill you.” ‘Huntsmammal’ stopped shy of pulling the triggers of his blasters, sensors alerting him to the arrival of another. Turning his head to see who it was, the HK assassin droid realized his mistake a fraction of a second too late,

Valeria dashed forward, swinging her lightsaber at the HK’s neck, aiming to decapitate it. Despite her element of surprise, the droid managed to evade by taking a half-step backwards just in time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Master Shifu jump to strike at the droid’s head. Again, the droid dodged the attack. _‘This droid. It's a Jedi Hunter.’_ Valeria realized.

Shifu continued to rain strike after strike after strike, trying to land any blow he could, but each attempt failed. Suddenly, pain flared in his shoulder, and the smell of burnt flesh filled his nose. It dawned on him that the droid had managed to shoot his shoulder. “AURGH!!” Shifu cried out.

Frozen at the realization that Shifu had been injured, Valeria spun to look at the red panda only to be thrown across the cabin by a kick from the droid. Impacting the bulkhead, she let out a whine of agony. She slid down to the floor, coughing, before losing consciousness.

Observing the two mammals, ‘Huntsmammal’ went to finish them when his sensors identified yet another mammal approaching. Shifting to look at the newcomer, his photoreceptors found a single individual mammal ominously walking towards him. “Query: Do you still think you can win?” ‘Huntsmammal’ soon found that this mammal was far outside his league.

The Sith Emperor looked at Valeria then to Shifu and back. Refocusing his eyes upon the assassin droid, he raised a single paw, and discharged a massive barrage of Force Lightning at it from his claws. The amount of power the assault had behind it was so great that the droid was sent flying into the bulkhead positioned directly behind it. He continued to shoot lightning at the droid as he sinisterly approached it. The Sith Emperor didn’t cease his bombardment until he was positioned directly in front of the HK assassin droid.

No longer held to the bulkhead by the pressure of the attack, ‘Huntsmammal’ fell to the floor. “Objection: You—” He never got to finish his statement as the mammal twisted his paw and used the Force to twist the droid’s head, breaking its neck, and rip his head off its chassis.

Having finished what he came to do, the Sith Emperor began to make his way back to his boarding pod. Pausing next to Valeria, he knelt, laid a tender kiss upon her cheek, and scent-marked her. Standing, he departed the room then the ship.

<A SHORT WHILE LATER>

The captain of the Morningstar, no longer hearing blaster fire, slowly made his way through the starship. He checked on passengers along the way. Some were panicking, but others were calm. Continuing along his way he found a few dead from blaster wounds, though a few were still barely alive and being treated by the Morningstar’s med crew. Eventually, the captain found the vixen and red panda Jedi among the remains of what appeared to be a heap of assassin droid parts. “My word. How many of them were there?”

Shifu was nursing his shoulder, but replied, “We’re not entirely sure. The further we go to the rear, the more parts there are. It would appear as though we received some help. Question is: By whom?” It was a rhetorical question as Shifu knew exactly who had come to their aid. He could smell the lingering scent of the Sith Emperor emanating from Valeria. However, he didn’t think it would be wise to inform the captain of this.

The captain went to say something, but stopped when the ship’s power came back online. Breathing a sigh of relief, the captain said, “I’ll return to the bridge to make certain that were back underway towards Tython.” Leaving them, he stopped to examine one particular droid part, a chassis that appeared as if though it had been burnt by lightning. He wanted to ask, but seeing the red panda Jedi grimacing as the vixen one tended to his wound, he chose to let it go.

Valeria didn’t say anything as she treated Shifu’s blaster wound. Once she was finished, Valeria said, “What’re you thinking right now?” She helped Shifu stand then guided him towards the bridge. “I know your thinking something. What is it?”

“Those droids,” Shifu began. “Their armour was thicker, more durable. The CIS have really outdone themselves with this new batch. That is, of course, these droids were indeed of CIS manufacturing.” Letting out a hiss of pain as he shifted his shoulder, he added, “There was something about those droids that leads me to believe that they weren’t produced by the CIS. If that’s true, I wonder who did make them.”

“I don’t know, but I think you’re right.” Valeria replied. “I don’t think those droids were manufactured by the CIS. Which begs the question: How did these droids procure CIS ships and _Vulture_ -class droid starfighters?” There was no way that the assassin droids had been manufactured by the CIS. While they did manufacture and produce battle and assassin droids, the CIS had neither the technology, the materials, nor the capabilities to design something like the droids she and Shifu just fought. Plus, the droid that had defeated them had clearly been far more advanced than anything either had come across previously. “We’ll have someone take a look at the droids. See what they can uncover in their coding and datacores.”

Upon reaching the command deck, Shifu sat in a seat one of the crew provided him. Valeria stood next to the captain as he issued orders his crewmammals. The ship’s astronavigation computer had them once more lock onto a course for Tython. Their estimated time of arrival (ETA) was one standard hour. With how close the ship was to its destination, they couldn’t make a jump to hyperspace. Besides, with the amount of damage the ship had sustained, it wouldn’t have been wise. So, they simply went as fast as the ship was capable.

The Morningstar finally reached Tython a few minutes later than estimated. The captain sent out a distress beacon which prompted a response from the planet’s spaceport security. They were escorted to the nearest available hanger. Touching down, Valeria, Shifu, and the captain assisted everyone with disembarking. Thanking the captain, Valeria and Shifu decided to make for the Jedi Temple as quickly as they could. Catching a Jedi Shuttlebus to the Jedi Temple, Valeria and Shifu had never felt so grateful that they were the only two onboard. In the rear storage, they had their luggage plus the pieces of the assassin droid that had given the such trouble. Arriving at the Jedi Temple, Valeria and Shifu were greeted by Jedi Master Barbeara Friedkin, the polar bear Jedi Instructor.

“Welcome back, Master Shifu.” Master Friedkin greeted with a bow, before straightening herself and repeating the process with Valeria. “Welcome home, Grand Master Valeria. It is good to see you safe and sound. Though, I sense that my words come after some hardship.” She guided her two fellow Jedi Masters into the Jedi Temple. “I fear that despite my most heartfelt wishes things here have become a bit…unsettling. A few initiates have, how shall we say, conducted extracurricular activities. A Jedi Sentinel in training has caused us some problems.”

“I don’t mean to seem rude, Master Friedkin, but Shifu and I also need to speak with a tech specialist. We have something that needs to be examined.” Valeria stated. “It is of the utmost importance that this is done as soon as possible.”

“My apologies. I’ll have one accompany those I have collect your things.” Master Friedkin responded. “I, however, feel that you need to meet the young Jedi Sentinel who’s been stirring up mischief. I think you’ll find him rather…surprising.” The polar bear continued to lead her colleagues further into the Jedi Temple. Reaching a specific room, she gestured for Valeria and Shifu to enter.

Stepping inside, Valeria’s eyes fell upon the only other occupant besides Shifu and herself. It was a young female otter, no older than possibly twelve years of age. She looked accepting of whatever punishment she’d soon receive, but that was only outwardly. Valeria could sense the youngling’s fear. “We would like to hear you account of the events in question.”

The youngling, who introduced herself as Kris Otterton, began her explanation. “I…I didn’t mean for it to happen. I only wanted to prove myself a capable Jedi Shadow, but…I failed. I inadvertently released something locked deep within the Forbidden Temple. Something darker than anything I’ve ever experienced during my training or studies. Whatever it is has begun infecting the village settlements that are in the area. It has even corrupted some of the other initiates.”

A sigh escaped both Valeria and Shifu after hearing the youngling explain what she had done. The Forbidden Temple was off-limits for very good reasons. It was a vergence, or Force nexus, that was had an unnaturally strong affinity to the dark side. Jedi Historians believed that the Forbidden Temple had been constructed by the Exiles, the first ever fallen Jedi, who had succumbed to the dark side of the Force. The dark side’s presence within the temple was so strong that only Jedi Masters could enter without falling. However, the young otter’s use of the word ‘released’ had them ponder.

“What do you mean ‘released’?” Shifu asked the youngling. In all his years on Tython, not a single soul had ever mentioned something actually living within the Forbidden Temple. Yes, myths had circulated of Force Ghosts, but never before had there been a tale of a creature dwelling within that place. Many Jedi Masters would test their mettle by adventuring into the depths of the Forbidden Temple, yet none ever came across any kind of entity.

“I…I don’t know what it is, Master.” Kris whimpered fearfully. “It…it was as if it was a…a void within the Force. Except the overwhelming sense of absolute dread, I can’t recall anything about it, other than it cackling in kittish glee and thanking me for freeing it from its imprisonment.”

Valeria watched as the female otter youngling breakdown in tears. _‘This requires investigation.’_ she thought to herself. Then the vixen had another thought, one that worried her greatly. Was it possible that this…creature…had already departed from Tython? If so, where in the name of the Force was it heading?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q1: What mammals do you see the major characters (Poe, Rey, Leia, Luke, Finn, DJ [Slicer played by Benecio Del Toro], Snoke, Kylo Ren, and Chewbacca [who's classified as a primate which don't exist in Zootopia]) as?
> 
> Q2: Sith Lord names? You'll find that I'm horrible with choosing names for my Dark Council. Lord Savage was easy as it was right there to begin with. Send in names and I'll credit you for it if I use it.
> 
> Q3: Starship names? Like above, I'm not that good at naming the starships meant to act as personal transports for the characters. I chose 'The Night Howler' for Nick's ship to pay homage and respect to the recently MIA Selaxes and his stories, which have sadly been taken down. In the off chance that Selaxes is reading this, WE MISS YOU DEARLY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK TO US!!!
> 
> Q4: Contests? I've got one going now for the Night Howler's design. I plan on hosting others for the Droids, Armor, and Lightsaber Colors of the characters. I understand most won't participate, but I'd like to know your thoughts on the matter. In regard to the lightsaber color contest, It'll basically be a short one paragraph explanation behind why you think that that character should have that color. Each color has a meaning behind it, after all. (e.g. blue for guardian, yellow for sentinel, green for consular, etc.)


	4. Chapter Three: A Reunion Cut Short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion between Judy and one of her siblings is cut short. The Crew of the Night Howler gains an astromech droid. Dawn Bellwether's life is about to get even more complicated. Also, we meet Gisella Gazelle, former Queen of and current Ambadassador for Naboo. (No, that is not a misspelling, it was done on purpose. Search it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all. Ian "Nemo" Moone here. How are we all doing today? Got a new chapter of SWZ for ya. My uncle had it prewritten, but I had to make a few changes. We'll be going from planet to planet without much adventure for a bit. I want to introduce the crews first. Fear not though, we will end up having planetary adventures relatively soon.
> 
> In case you haven't picked up on it, my uncle has had me reading the dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia. School has been closed due to strange weather patterns in our area. We normally don't get snow here, but the roads are frozen. So, no one can really do anything unless they brave the intense cold.
> 
> Anyway, you're not interested in all that. Let's get to the chapter.

**Chapter Three: A Reunion Cut Short**

* * *

 

~~~~~

**_ The Night Howler – En route to the settlement of Bunnyburrow on the planet Dantooine _ **

~~~~~

“I don’t know how, but you’re cheating!” Finn hollered at the bunny as Nick and Skye laughed their arses off. The two had played a couple of rounds of dejarik, each resulting in the bunny’s victory. The fennec wasn’t truly mad, it was just that other than Nick, no one had ever beaten him as badly. “That’s it. I’m done. One of you other hooligans can play her.” Getting up from his seat, Finn watched Skye take his place. Taking her former seat by Nick, Finn asked, “How long until we reach our destination?”

“Approximately three standard hours.” Nick replied, watching as the arctic vixen and the bunny doe started their game. “She has family there.” he added, almost as an afterthought. Nick could feel Finn’s eyes on him, but ignored it. “When we get there, do you think you can find out which burrow is that of the Hopps warren?”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Wilde.” Finn muttered. “They could be watching her folks to see if she contacts them. I’m not saying I can’t, but that’s putting us at great risk.” Seeing Nick nod, Finn sighed. “This bunny’s something else if she’s got you of all mammals willing to go this far.”

Nick didn’t say anything in response to that. Instead, he got up and went to the Night Howler’s garage. Taking a seat on a cargo container, Nick looked at his swoop. Just like the Night Howler, the tod had designed it himself. The term ‘fast’ was an understatement. The damn thing could reach a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, far faster than any other model in production. Admittedly, Nick had heavily modified it. Originally, the swoop had only been a frame that he purchased from a junk dealer on Tatooine. Nick had constructed the swoop as an easy way to get credits when they were in-between contracts.

“NO!!” Skye shouted laughing. “I WANNA REMATCH!! THIS TIME I GO FIRST!!”

Chuckling and shaking his head, Nick got off the cargo container. Opening it, he pulled out the necessary equipment to maintain a swoop. Donning the interface band, tech specialist belt, and infiltrator gloves within, Nick readied his tools. Getting into the swoop, Nick let himself have a moment to sit there and remember some of his past races. Sighing, he got started on making the minute adjustments he’d been considering for a while. Quickly losing track of time, Nick was startled when Judy spoke up from not too far away. “I’m sorry. What was the question?”

Snorting, Judy replied, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The doe’s eyes roamed over the swoop bike. It was obvious to her that the swoop was a beast that boasted both power and speed. “I asked if you were a swooper. You’re bike just gives that kind of impression.”

“Nah, I’m not a swooper.” Nick answered. “Swoopers race professionally for a living. I race when we’re in need of credits and we don’t have a job lined up, or if we need extra creds for one.” Pointing his sonic screwdriver at her, he asked, “What about you? You’re obviously well-versed with swoop mechanics. You ever race?”

“Once or twice.” Judy replied as she again took in the overall design of the bike. “Growing up on a farmstead, you learn how to perform maintenance quickly enough.” Walking around the swoop, she said, “My brothers and I would often try to soup up our landspeeders and race them around the property.”

Watching as the bunny doe circled the swoop, eyeing it carefully, Nick grinned. “Must be a large plot of land.” he mused. “What did you leave Skye and Finn doing? They playing a round of dejarik? If so, I hope you don’t have virgin ears. The two have a standing bet on the winner asserting dominance in the starboard dormitory. By my last count, Skye’s leading 17-15.”

Judy couldn’t stop the blush that took over her ears. She had left the company of Finn and Skye when they started their own game. “Sorry. I, uh, wasn’t aware of that.” Hearing Nick chuckle, she gave him a sheepish grin. “Who’re we meeting in Bunnyburrow? I pretty much know everyone in the settlement. So, I’m kinda curious to see who I know that you know.”

“Her names Madge Badger.” Nick answered as he recalibrated the sensors. “She prefers to be called ‘Honey’ though. It’s a pun on her name and species, seeing as she’s a honey badger.” Climbing out of the swoop, he said, “She’s an uber-genius when it comes to all things droid. I had commissioned her to construct an astromech droid for the Night Howler. That’s why we’re heading to Bunnyburrow. To pick up our new astromech.”

“I actually know her.” Judy stated excitedly. “She lives not to far from my old warren burrow. Honey would always come by to help us with our R4-series agromech droids. That badger’s one of the kindest, if eccentric, mammals I have the pleasure of knowing.”

“Sounds like her alright.” Nick replied with a smile. Then the two of them heard the unmistakable sounds of mating emanating from the starboard dormitory. Exchanging a look, they both broke out in snickers as it became relatively apparent that Finn was the one getting it in the ass from Skye. “Well, I guess that means Skye’s leading 18-15 now.”

“Oh, Gods.” Judy managed to say through her chuckling. Taking a more somber expression, she asked, “Do you really think I’ll be able to see my folks? I mean, I don’t want to risk getting us captured or anything.” The doe watched as the tod turned from the container he just put his tools into then squat to be eye level with her.

“You might not get to interact with them, but you’ll at least get to see them. That much I can promise you.” Nick vowed. Offering Judy his paw, he said, “Come on. Let’s get to the cockpit. We should be arriving pretty soon.” They made their way to the bridge in companionable silence, not minding one bit that their paws were intertwined. Having her sit in the copilot’s seat, Nick took his spot in the pilot’s chair. “Looks like we’re just about there. Dropping out of hyperspace in 3...2...1…now.”

The Night Howler dropped out of hyperspace just as Nick said the words. Through the cockpit’s viewport, the planet Dantooine could be seen. Lush with life, the planet looked like your stereotypical agriworld, despite not being classified as such. There were wide expanses of grasslands, savannas, mountains, steppes, rivers, and oceans that made up the geography of the planet. All across the planet were various settlements that tended to be home for various species, but usually favored one more than others. Bunnyburrow, although home to many species, was primarily known for its large lagomorph population.

Nick guided the Night Howler towards the Bunnyburrow Spaceport. Engaging the landing jets, he set the starship down before powering it off. “Thank you for flying Wilde Express. We hope your trip has been memorable. Please see your captain for possible future journeys.” Nick stated, straight-faced, causing Judy to burst into laughter. Standing, he shouted, “SKYE! FINN! WE’VE TOUCHED DOWN!!”

Following Nick to the boarding ramp, Judy said, “Let’s go, Slick. The faster we get your droid, the sooner I can try and see my family.” Exiting the ship, Judy took a moment to refamiliarize herself with the smells, sights, and sounds of the settlement. _‘Just like I remember.’_ she thought, fondly.

“Yeah, yeah. Come on. Honey’s place is this way.” Nick said, before yelling back into the ship. “OI. YOU TWO GATHER WHATEVER YOU THINK WE NEED, BUT ANYTHING EXTRA IS COMING OUTTA YOUR OWN POCKETS! CAPICHE?” Hearing grumbles of affirmation, Nick led Judy towards Honey’s residence.

The burrow of Madge ‘Honey’ Badger was a quaint place. Having roughly three stories underground and two above, it appeared to fit in with those of a smaller lapine warren. The sole resident was known for her eccentricities as well as her amazing droid-related talents. Of course, even a mammal such as Honey needed to have some kind of agricultural occupation. Being a honey badger, Honey chose apiculture, or beekeeping. It was while she was tending her bees that Honey spotted Nick and Judy approaching. “’Bout time you showed up. I swear that damn droid you had me make is driving me insane.”

“Nice to see you too, Honey.” Nick replied. “Speaking of my new droid, where is it?” The answer came in a flurry of electronic beeps, bloops, buzzes, chirps, whines, whirrs, and whistles. Turning, Nick found himself staring as an astromech droid came flying at him, only to come to a complete halt within arm’s reach. “Why hello there. What’re you called?”

The droid’s reply was entirely in Binary, or Droidspeak. [I am T9-D4. You are Master Nicholas Wilde, who commissioned my construction. I am ready to serve you as you deem fit.]

Seeing Nick look over at her, Honey shrugged. “I input everything you requested. T9-D4’s somehow grown beyond his programming. I have to admit that his personality makes a good match for you though.” Focusing her attention on the bunny doe, the honey badger said, “I haven’t seen you since that Imperial recruiter from the Imperial Recruitment Office drafted you into service. I’m guessing you’re either defecting or deserting.”

“Bit of both actually.” Judy said back. “Anything new with my folks? I can’t exactly go up to them without drawing unwanted attention.”

Sighing, Honey answered, “Your dad’s been having trouble with a couple of his agromechs, but that’s nothing new. Your mom had me help set up a vivarium not to long ago. Other than that, nothing really has changed. Crops didn’t do to good this year though, for some odd reason. Your Pop-Pop said it happens from time to time every couple of years or so.” 

“They’re doing okay though, right?” Judy asked. When she left, there had been a few of her sisters that were expecting their first litters. Worry over their health had Judy thumping the ground.

“If you're inquiring ‘bout your sisters, they’re all fine. So are their little ones.” Honey told her. Spying someone else approaching, she stated, “Looks like we’ve got ourselves some company. How’re you doing, Finn?”

“I’m good, Hon. Thanks for asking.” Finn answered as he walked up. “Okay, so I’ve got a 411 on the Hopps’ residence and its residents. One of your brothers should be here soon under the guise of bringing one of their agromechs in for maintenance.” Looking at the honey badger, Finn said, “Sorry, Hon. It was the best I could do with what I had.”

Waving a paw, Honey said, “It’s fine. I would’ve had to go that way anyway. Saves me a trip. Why don’t you all come in while y’all wait?”

The three mammals and one droid entered Honey’s burrow. Honey provided them with some refreshments and snacks. Judy and Nick spent a bit of time conversing with T9-D4, who was apparently a rather interesting droid with whom to converse. Finn followed Honey further into the burrow at her request, leaving them alone for a while.

Upon realizing that the fennec and honey badger’s disappearance a couple minutes later, Judy inquired, “Where did the other two go?” Hearing Nick sigh, the answer became a little obvious. “They’re rutting somewhere further inside the burrow, aren’t they?” Getting a nod from Nick, she shook her head. “Does Finn have a standing agreement with Honey as well?”

“Not exactly.” Nick confessed. “See, Finn and Honey both love each other dearly, but Finn doesn’t want to be tied down and Honey’s…well, Honey, if you catch my drift. So, during times like these, they’ll go a couple of rounds to hold themselves over until the next time.” Nick then added, “They were engaged at one point. Didn’t work quite work out though. As I said, Finn didn’t want to be tied down. Wanted Honey to come with us, but she wanted someplace to call home.”

“What about you?” Judy asked softly. “What is it you want?” She watched him with an observant eye, reading his expression carefully. T9-D4 even gave a low hum, as if he wanted to know the answer as well.

Gazing into Judy’s amethyst eyes, Nick whispered, “It isn’t that simple for me. I’d love to have someone to spend my life with, but the Night Howler is my de facto home. I highly doubt that there’s anyone that would be happy to live their lives similarly. Even if there was, what kind of male would I be, providing for them with the kind of occupation I possess?”

Swallowing, Judy steeled her nerves and answered, “Well, I know I would.” It was true, but at the same time, like Nick had said, it wasn’t that simple. Judy still wanted to make the galaxy a better place. Here on Dantooine, her parents had converted an ancient Jedi enclave into their warren’s burrow. Growing up, Judy had learned by chance of her Force-sensitivity. Her exploration of the lower levels had provided her with a wealth of Jedi knowledge, which she then used to self-train. When it became apparent that her chances of becoming a Jedi were infinitesimal, she chose to become a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. That Imperial recruiter had put that dream on hold. Now though, she was closer to achieving it. Still, the thought of living aboard the Night Howler with Nick and his family-like crew was a wonderful one.

Hearing those words from Judy’s muzzle only made Nick more determined to successfully court her. Smiling, he told her, “I’d’ve been honored if it would have been you. Besides, who knows? It may still be a possibility.” This was met with jubilant chirps and whirrs from T9-D4 alongside a shy smile from the bunny doe.

A knock at the entrance to the burrow had them look in that direction. Slowly moving towards the doorway, Judy peeked through the hidden peephole to spy her brother Ashley. Opening the door for her brother, Judy said, “Hurry up and get in here.”

Ushering the agromech inside with him, Ashley Hopps quickly stepped into Honey’s burrow and gave his sister a hug. “Oh, it’s so good to see you, Sis. You have no idea. Mom and Dad were simply beside themselves with worry when word reached us you had been charged with desertion and treason. You honestly have no idea how worried we all were.”

“Ashley,” Judy whispered softly to her brother. “I _am_ guilty of desertion and treason.” She watched as Ashley’s expression fell. “I won’t let anything happen to either you or our parents.” she told him.

Shaking his head vigorously, Ashley quickly replied in a low voice. “You need to get out of here, Judy.” Seeing his sister’s confused expression, he tilted his head towards the droid. He tried to convey how sorry he was through his eyes, but it did little good, because Judy socked him in his jaw so hard in knocked him unconscious.

Nick spun to yell for Honey and Finn, but the two were already back and prepared. “Silent alarm?” he inquired. Getting a nod of confirmation, Nick asked, “Got a hidden way outta here?” He, Finn, Judy, and T9-D4 followed Honey towards the back of her burrow. When she pulled aside a hidden panel, granting access to an escape tunnel, Nick gave Honey a pat on the back. “Thanks. Oh, and here. Your fee.” He gave her a 5000 cred. “See you later.”

Finn gave the honey badger a deep kiss then entered the tunnel after Nick. Judy was next with T9 on her tail. Honey resealed the tunnel then went to deal with her unwanted guests.

The tunnel was dark, but Nick and Finn’s natural night vision allowed them to see. T9 used his spotlight’s dim settings to illuminate the tunnel enough for Judy to see, but not enough to hurt Nick and Finn’s light sensitive eyes. They all moved swiftly, knowing time was limited.

T9’s extensive knowledge of the underground tunnel system made him the best guide. The droid led them directly to the exit nearest to the Bunnyburrow Spaceport. The four exited the tunnels only a few meters from where the Night Howler was parked. They raced towards and into the starship.

“Skye! Tell me we’re ready for takeoff!” Nick demanded as he rushed to the cockpit with Judy right on his heels. When he got there, Skye was busy finalizing takeoff procedures. “If we’re ready, then get us the hell out of here.”

“Roger!” Skye answered. The Night Howler powered up and began to rise into the air. “Brace yourselves.” Skye warned them mere seconds before she hit the accelerator.

The Night Howler shot forward, gradually accelerated at a rapid rate of speed, until it broke free of the planet’s gravitational pull. The exact moment they reached space, they jumped to lightspeed.

They all released sighs of relief knowing that they had managed to escape. Nick sat down in an open seat. “Well,” he began. “I’m going to hazard a guess and say our plans to go straight to Coruscant have been shot to Hell. So, new plan. I’m open to any suggestions.”

“Why can’t we go straight to Coruscant?” Judy queried. “We managed to give them the slip. Why do we need a new plan?”

“Bun, you’ve still got a lot to learn.” Finn grunted. “The Empire’s going to be monitoring every hyperlane leading directly to Coruscant from here. They’ll also monitor alternative routes that are often frequented. We’re either gonna have to lie low for a while, or we’re gonna need to plot a route with multiple stops along the way. I’d go with the later choice myself.”

“You’ve got to realize that our main issue is that now we’ve got to be more careful with how we travel.” Skye explained. “We can’t use any major routes or even the most common secondary and tertiary because the Empire will be keeping all of them under intense scrutiny. They want you, but couldn’t care less whether they get you dead or alive. If we were to use the regular routes, they’ll be on us like white on rice.”

Feeling responsible for their situation, Judy whispered, “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn’t think Ashley would betray me like that.”

“It’s alright, Fluff.” Nick told the bunny doe. “There was no way you could have known. Hell, we knew the risk, but chose to do it anyway. We’re just as guilty as you in all of this.” Slapping his knees, Nick switched to the pilot’s seat. “Okay. So, where should we go first?”

~~~~~

Aboard the _Soldier of Fortune_

~~~~~

General Tobias Bogo was pleased to find that he’d been given command of such a fine ship. The _Soldier of Fortune_ was a truly exceptional starship. Any mammal would feel privileged to possess ownership of it. The starship was a beast in its own right. Possessing thick, durable hide of Havod, the starship was capable of taking a massive amount of punishment without any real damage. The overall design seemed to merge the aspects of a _D5-Mantis_ Patrol Craft, a _Defender-_ class light corvette, and a YV-929 armed freighter. It possessed everything a military mammal such as General Bogo could ever want. It had twin ion cannons, dual double turbolaser cannons, two triple blasters, and four concussion missile launchers as weapons. It also boasted not only a primary shield generator, but an emergency backup, which was a rarity among these types of starships.

Entering the ship, Bogo took a short tour to examine the amenities and facilities provided. Though technically a rapid assault ship, the _Soldier of Fortune_ was a bit larger than one would usually see. The ship was split into two separate decks. The upper level was the command deck, or bridge, where the primary conference room, the smaller secondary conference room, and living quarters were located. The lower level consisted of a medical bay, a cargo hold, engine room, and a central access chamber. The ship also had a few RPC-12 force cages onboard for prisoners of war. _‘Yes. This will do quite nicely.’_ Bogo thought.

Jedi Knight Harrison Wolford and Lieutenant Colonel Zannah Fangmeyer entered the hanger that held the starship they were to use for their mission. Benjamin Clawhauser, their team’s Strategic Information Service Agent and Communications Officer, had been there for a few minutes already, just off to the side. The cheetah waited until the wolf and tigress boarded the ship before doing so himself. It really was a well designed starship and perfect for their mission. They all quickly got themselves settled in then prepped the ship for launch.

Zannah made her way to the medical bay to examine what she had available to them and make a list of everything she’d need to procure. Rather surprisingly, the ship was fully stocked with everything they’d probably need when it came to a medical emergency. Harrison’s destination was the living quarters. The wolf was pleased to see that each of them had their own and that each was of fairly adequate size. He’d have no trouble performing his exercises within the space provided. As for SIS Agent Clawhauser, his terminus was the bridge, where General Bogo was currently. Taking a seat at his assigned post, the cheetah got started getting them clearance for departure.

Taking one more look around, Bogo noticed that there was something vital missing from the ship that had yet to make an appearance. “Does anyone know where the droid assigned to this ship is currently located?” he asked his team. Before any of them could answer, a loud ‘CLANG’ echoed throughout the ship. They all walked into the central chamber of the ship to find a rather peculiar sight.

“Oh, I’m so sorry that I’m late. I was trying to make certain that we had everything we would need.” the droid stated. As if realizing his break in decorum, it said, “I’m so sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I am M-9PX, a military-grade factotum, service, and protocol droid assigned to the _Soldier of Fortune._ It’s a pleasure to serve you.”

Clawhauser grinned widely. “I’ve heard of you droids. There aren’t that many of you, so you’re a rarity. Can you give us a full breakdown of your functions, please?”

“Of course.” M-9PX answered. “I possess a wide range of capabilities which include piloting the ship, assisting in various types of medical care, performing maintenance on the ship’s systems just as well as a utility, astromech, maintenance, or technician droid, and, in the event that someone tries to hijack or steal the ship, I can defend it.”

Nodding in approval, General Bogo replied, “Excellent. Now, if everything’s ready, let’s blast our way through the quarantine and get our mission underway.” With that, M-9PX, Harrison, Zannah, and Clawhauser all followed Bogo to the bridge. Taking up their positions (Bogo in the captain’s chair with Harrison and Zannah on either side, Clawhauser in the communication officer’s seat, and M-9PX in the pilot’s seat), they got the greenlight for takeoff.

The _Soldier of Fortune_ powered up then ascended swiftly into the sky. Its speed increased at a steady pace until it broke free of the planet’s gravity. The ship’s sensors began picking up the presence of those in the Empire’s Imperial Fleet’s quarantine blockade.

“I’ve located a small area within the quarantine which we can slip through.” M-9PX stated. “We’ll also be able to do some damage. Not a lot, but enough that allied reinforcements could capitalize on it. What shall we do, General?”

“Set a course and show no quarter.” General Bogo ordered. “Agent Clawhauser? Any updates on our quarry?” the buffalo inquired as he looked at the cheetah.

“Reports show that she was recently seen on Dantooine in her home settlement of Bunnyburrow, but has since disappeared again.” Clawhauser informed. “I’d wager that she, and those with her, will either choose to stay under the radar, or they’ll take a long, convoluted route towards Coruscant with multiple stops along the way. Either way, I’ve managed to come up with a few possible routes they’ll probably take. I’ve inputted them into the flight computer.”

“Good work.” Bogo commended. Turning to M-9PX, he said, “Take the course with the highest probability. Also, do as much damage as possible to those rutters before we make the jump to lightspeed.”

It didn’t take long for M-9PX to maneuver the ship towards the small hole in the Imperial Fleet’s quarantine blockade. Even less time was required to slip through it. Along the way, the droid managed to engage the _Soldier of Fortune_ ’s war systems, effectively causing the ship’s computer to use the cannons to fire upon a slew of enemy starfighters, subsequently destroying them. When M-9PX got them out of range from the Imperial Fleet, he activated the hyperdrive and the ship jumped to lightspeed.

~~~~~

Aboard the _Reviled Behemoth_

~~~~~

Dark Lord Savage stood on the bridge of the _Reviled Behemoth,_ a _Vengeance-_ class Star Dreadnought that served as his flagship. It had been a couple of hours since his last stay aboard the ship, but it would now be his temporary home for the foreseeable future. Only hours ago, Lord Savage had attempted to commission a clone army from the planet Kamino and failed epically. Now en route to regroup with Lord Vicious, a fellow Sith Lord and a hyena, Lord Savage hated knowing that he would have to break the news that his plans fell through.

Also aboard the ship was his newly selected Sith apprentice Jaesa Wolverin, a female wolverine who had been found to be quite strong in the Dark Side of the Force. Unlike most Sith apprentices, who attempted to usurp their masters whenever the opportunity arose, Jaesa instead swore fealty to Lord Savage, saying that she’d only ever strike when he was at his weakest. Her election to the position as Lord Savage’s apprentice had been a bit of a surprise to both, but neither complained about the arrangement.

“We should be arriving at the rendezvous point momentarily, my lord.” Grand Moff Barkin informed Lord Savage and Apprentice Wolverin. The canid had served onboard the _Reviled Behemoth_ for half a dozen tours now and was one of the few mammals whose opinion Lord Savage took under consideration. Not many mammals could claim that, such as his last four predecessors who had failed to serve the Dark Lord sufficiently enough. Having grown up on a planet that was consistently locked in a civil war, G.M. Barkin had learned everything one needed to know about strategy at a young age. This had aided him in quickly rising through the ranks, getting stationed on Lord Savage’s flagship, and eventually where he was today.

“Excellent.” Lord Savage replied. “Once again, you have proven your worth Barkin. It pains me that it took me so long to take notice of you. Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t’ve suffered through those incompetent imbeciles who preceded you.” Turning to his apprentice, Lord Savage said, “Come. Let us prepare for when we transfer onto the _Herald of Demise._ ”

The two Sith headed to the main hanger, where their transport shuttle awaited. Arriving, they greeted the pilot who would transport them to flagship of the Dark Lord Vicious. Boarding the shuttle, both heard the announcement that the _Herald of Demise_ had arrived. The journey from one starship to another was swift, but the one towards the _Herald of Demise_ ’s bridge was not.

Lord Vicious stood at the helm of his command flagship, looking out the viewport at the planet below. It reminded him of his homeworld, being so full of life. Peering over his shoulder the hyena Sith Lord watched as Lord Savage and his new apprentice joined him. “Welcome, Brother, to the _Herald of Demise._ Follow me. We’ll speak in my chambers, where we can speak without fear of anyone eavesdropping on us.”

They all entered the hyena’s chambers and took a seat in one of the available armchairs. The jackrabbit Sith Lord chose to cut directly to the reason for his visit. “My plans for a clone army have fallen through. The only alternative I see would be to commission a droid army. Essentially the same, but the droids won’t have that ‘mammal’ factor, nor will they possess the creativity of one.”

Giving Lord Savage a nod, the hyena said, “I’ll be honest. I was expecting something along those lines. While I wish your plans had been a success, I’ve already contacted a possible droid manufacturer. Be prepared and all that jazz. I’m going to assume you’ve yet to inform the rest.” Receiving a slow forward tilt of the head from the jackrabbit, Lord Vicious replied, “Don’t worry about them. If anything, they all knew the chances were minimal at best. Your plan was brilliant, but lacked a certain…realism, let’s say.”

“Indeed.” Lord Savage stated in reply. “May I inquire if you’ve done as I asked?” he questioned, moving on to their next topic of discussion. “Have you managed to locate my mammal of interest?”

A grim expression overtook Lord Vicious. “Following her escape from Dantooine, we lost her again. We’re checking each major hyperlane that leads to Coruscant as well as the secondary and tertiary hyperlanes. You have my word, we will find and capture her.”

“Thank you, Lord Vicious.” Lord Savage replied. Gesturing to his new apprentice, he asked the hyena, “Have you considered getting an apprentice of your own? I’ve only known mine for a short time, but I already know she’s going to be a powerful Sith Marauder.”

Cackling, the hyena Sith Lord shook his head. “No. I have never even given the concept any thought. It isn’t that I wouldn’t like to take on an apprentice, but I’m simply not suited for training one. Then there’s the other issue. I doubt there are many who’d desire to study under me. Don’t misconstrue my words. There are probably a pawful of acolytes who’d love to be my apprentice, but none have stepped forward or have managed to catch my interest.”

Jaesa looked at the hyena with a bored expression. “There are many acolytes on Korriban that aim to be chosen as your apprentice. Most of them simply die before they prove themselves worthy. Although, there is one who just might succeed in doing so soon. From what I last heard, he managed to survive an excursion into the tomb of the ancient Dark Lord Dracul and claim the holocron held within.”

Sitting up and leaning forward, Lord Vicious said, “My, now that’s a feat. I’ll be sure to look into this acolyte at the next earliest convenience.” Returning his attention to his fellow Sith Lord, the hyena stated, “Unfortunately, I have another appointment I must attend. I’ll contact you when I can.”

Taking their leave, Lord Savage and Jaesa returned to the _Reviled Behemoth._ Upon entering his chambers, Lord Savage told his apprentice, “If you have something to say then speak.” He watched as the female wolverine sat down in a meditative position and kept silent. After a moment of consideration, he did the same. They both stayed in that position as the ship took off towards the planet of Dromund Kaas.

~~~~~

The Senate Building – Coruscant

~~~~~

Supreme Chancellor Lionheart kept himself expressionless as the thousands of senators argued excessively amongst themselves. Try as he might, without any way to reassume order, the lion had to simply wait it out. The session today had been called to discuss the war effort and hear the planetary statuses. The current dispute was concerning the destruction of ecosystems as a result of planetside ground warfare. Some senators were of the mind that others didn’t quite understand the full extend of the damage while others insisted that they shared their pain. It hadn’t been the first time and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. It just so happened that this time the planet in question was Telos IV, which had recently been all but decimated by an orbital bombardment at the paws and hooves of the Empire. Finally, the heated verbal conflict ended, allowing Lionheart to speak.

“Have we reached an understanding?” Receiving a collective sound of agreement, Lionheart said, “Wonderful. Now, I believe that was all for today. Does anyone have anything else they feel needs to be discussed?” Not getting an answer, Lionheart nodded. “In that case, this senate session is adjourned.”

All of the senators departed with the sole exception of Senator Gisella Gazelle. As her name suggested, she was a gazelle and was the senatorial representative for the planet Naboo. Formerly Naboo’s queen, Gisella Gazelle hadn’t enjoyed the position, nor the expectations placed on her during that time. She had abdicated the throne as soon as she could without raising suspicion. Taking up the role as Naboo’s senator had been equivalent to a breath of fresh air for her. Once she was the only one left, Gisella joined Lionheart and his entourage in the main foyer of his office.

“That session ran longer than expected, didn’t it?” Gisella asked as she took a seat. Watching as Lionheart’s staff also sat down, she said, “You seem a little stressed. Something on your mind, Leodore?”

Sighing, Lionheart mumbled, “A lot of things. Nothing for you to worry about though. It’s all stuff that’s of my own doing.” Taking a glass of water from the service droid that brought refreshments, Leodore downed the entire thing in one gulp. “I noticed that you weren’t as vocal this time around. What about you? Something on your mind, Gisella?”

Shrugging, the gazelle answered, “Not anything in particular. I have been curious about something I’ve heard whispers about, but other than that, everything’s normal.” Truth was that her public image had recently taken a hit from being seen in the presence of four tigers, but that didn’t bother her any. The tigers in question were, in reality, her bodyguards. It was considered highly uncommon for any prey mammal to have predators in their employ, no matter their position. Gazelle did so enjoy going against the social norm though.

Studying Gisella’s expression, Lionheart sat back. “What have you heard through the grapevine? If it’s true, I’ll tell you.” Here, within the halls of the Senate Building, it was an everyday occurrence to overhear rumors concerning all types of things. Usually, the rumors were baseless and unfounded, but every so often one or two would be true.

Locking eyes with the lion, Gisella inquired, “Is it true that you’ve authorized a spec ops team to bring in a possible defector from the Empire?” She watched as Leodore grimaced, which was all the answer she needed. “So, it is true.”

Lionheart nodded slowly. “It is. However, I’m reluctant to inform the rest of the Republic Senate until I receive word that they’ve gotten them to safety.” Thanking the service droid for refilling his glass of water, he added, “Please, don’t inform anyone else of this. I don’t want to provide false hope in the event they fail. Not that I think they will, but I have to consider the possibility.”

“I won’t tell another soul.” Gisella vowed. They sat in comfortable silence until she said, “I expect to be the first one you contact when you receive word of their success, Leodore. Naboo may be primarily pacifists, but we still wish to see this war end just as much as the rest of the galaxy.”

“You have my word that you’ll be the first one I contact.” Lionheart told her. The sound of his office door opening drew his attention. The lion watched as Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford approached. “Ah, you came. Please, take a seat, my friend. I hope you bring good news.”

Master Wolford remained standing as he pointed to Gisella and asked, “Is she allowed to hear any of this?” Receiving a nod from the Supreme Chancellor, Fenrir reported, “It was a little later than he wanted, but they’ve finally managed to leave. They have an idea of she’ll do next, but only time will tell. Unfortunately, I also come bearing bad news. Reports show that the Terror Fleet, led by the _Leviathan,_ is fast approaching the planet Taris.”

Sitting up straighter, Lionheart asked, “Do we have any ships in that area? If so, we need to have them get there as soon as possible.” Taris didn’t really have any strategic value, but it was still a Republic-aligned planet, and as such it deserved their protection.

“I’ve already ordered all available ships in that sector to converge there to defend it.” Fenrir answered. “But that’s not the worst part. According to the most recently updated data, this ship, the _Leviathan,_ isn’t the same one that we’ve been following. It’s new one and it’s far more dangerous.”

~~~~~

Palace of the Jedi – Tython

~~~~~

As Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Valeria Wilde wasn’t required to interact with the various initiates currently undergoing training. Yet, here she was teaching a class of younglings the finer points of lightsaber combat. While she wasn’t required, Valeria still like to be involved with training and molding the newest initiates into the best Jedi they could be. So, when the opportunity to teach a class had revealed itself, she immediately accepted. Now however, the vixen found herself wondering why it had seemed like a good idea.

The Jedi Initiates that made up the class consisted of various species, sizes, and genders. Each of them were no older than possibly 12 years of age. Also, some seemed to have greater control of the Force than others, while some possessed stronger connections with it. Never in her life had Valeria dealt with such a diverse group of initiates. Among them was Kris Otterton, the young female otter that had inadvertently released something from the Forbidden Temple. It had been decided, after much discussion, that instead of being exiled from the Jedi Order, she would have to begin her training anew. It was a punishment the otter had readily accepted.

Having chosen to hold her class outside, Valeria had much more room to utilize. She had also taken the liberty of providing each initiate with an electroblade training sword. After nearly half an hour of instruction, it had finally happened. One of the trainees claimed they were more than capable of taking on a full-fledged Jedi in battle. Raising a brow, Valeria asked, “Oh? Is that so? In that case, I have the best way for you to prove that.”

The Palace of the Jedi on Tython had a wide variety of droids used for lightsaber sparring practice. One such droid was the Duelist Elite Mark IX, a highly advanced lightsaber combat training droid more often used by Jedi Masters. Out of all the droids of that classification, the droid known primarily as 5T3V3 was by far the best of them. At Valeria’s insistence, 5T3V3 had accompanied the vixen and her class. The moment the young initiate had spoken out of turn. 5T3V3 understood why Valeria had requested his presence. Running through his memory databanks, the droid identified the initiate as one Jacob Wolford, grandpup to Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford and younger brother of Jedi Knight Harrison Wolford.

“Initiate Wolford.” 5T3V3 stated, drawing attention to himself. “If you are so sure of your claim, shall we engage in a mock duel? Admittedly, it has been a while since I last partook in one, but I doubt it will take me long to get back in the habit.”

The young, and slightly arrogant, wolf laughed stating that it would wipe the floor with the droid. Both took combat ready stances and waited for Valeria to give the signal to begin. The moment she did, the wolf rushed forward thinking that his Force-enhanced speed would bring the match to a swift end. Unfortunately for him, 5T3V3 was programmed to handle Jedi Masters, so that didn’t happen.

Blocking the young wolf’s blade with his own, 5T3V3 brought out a second with which he struck, catching the wolf’s side, causing him to release a whine of pain. “Try again.” 5T3V3 ordered. Parrying and countering, 5T3V3 once more caught the young wolf off-guard, striking at the shoulder opposite the side of his first attack. “Again.” the droid commanded.

Over and over, the two engaged in a short blade-lock before 5T3V3 would land a blow on the young wolf. The other initiates watched in fascination as the wolf got his arse delivered to him. Kris Otterton had a sneaking suspicion that Grand Master Valeria had anticipated such an occurrence taking place. Eventually, Initiate Wolford surrendered.

Once the wolf returned to his place amongst his fellow initiates, Valeria said, “Let that be a lesson, young one. It is far too early for you to take on a Jedi Knight or the Sith equivalent.” Looking at her class, she sighed. “You’re all dismissed.”

The class departed back towards the Jedi Temple, leaving Valeria and 5T3V3 alone. The droid had taken a seat on a sizable stone while Valeria ran through a pawful of lightsaber exercises. Neither of them noticed Shifu’s approach, much to the red panda’s own amusement.

Shifu had witnessed the entire thing from a short distance away. Seeing Valeria instruct younglings was something Shifu greatly enjoyed, but it would remind him of young Nicholas as well as the Sith Emperor. There were often times he felt partially responsible for the Sith Emperor’s supposed fall, which was why he had never taken another apprentice afterwards. Nicholas had been special though, a child of unfathomable power, born of the two mammals whose connection to the Force was so strong that many considered them to be godlike. Nicholas’s disappearance had greatly affected Shifu more than he cared to admit, but Valeria had promised him that her son was simply doing things his way, just as he and his father always did. Nevertheless, Shifu was pleased to see Valeria taking part in instructing the newest generation of their Order.

“Yet another initiate learns that they aren’t as powerful as they assume themselves to be, eh?” Shifu teased the vixen as he came to a halt near 5T3V3. He watched as Valeria shut off the training lightsaber and return it to the container along with the rest. “I’m going to guess you didn’t tell him that 5T3V3 was designed for Jedi Masters.”

“You assume correctly.” Valeria replied. Using the Force to levitate the large container into the air, Valeria trekked back into the Jedi Temple with it in tow. “Better that way. He’ll come to understand why in time.” Setting the crate down, she asked, “Have you heard anything from the tech specialist regarding that droid?”

“I have, and it’s nothing good.” Shifu answered. “The circuitry was all but fried from Force Lightning, but he did manage to extract some useful data. From what he could tell, it would appear that the droid was manufactured by a company not associated with either the Republic, the Empire, or the CIS. Whoever created the droid is totally independent. Plus, the software and programming are much more advanced than anything either of those are capable of producing.”

“I see.” Valeria murmured. Looking skyward, she pondered what they should do next. There were many different ways they could move forward, but each had a myriad of ways each one could go sideways. There was one viable option, but for it to succeed, Valeria would have to travel to Nar Shaddaa, also known as the Smuggler’s Moon. Another thing she had to consider was that she and the mammal in question hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms after the last time they saw each other. However, as they say ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’. “Shifu. I need a starship.”

~~~~~

Dawn Bellwether’s Apartment – Zootopia

~~~~~

Heaving deep breaths from overexertion, Dawn Bellwether looked at Doug Ramses, who laid beside her on her bed. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, but it had started to become more and more regular as of late. Rolling onto her side, the ewe asked, “This is probably just me being paranoid, but has your wife found out about us? Is that why your coming over more often?”

Still breathing heavily, Doug nodded as best he could. “She knows I’m seeing someone else, but I doubt she knows it’s you.” Shifting his head to gaze at Dawn, the ram said, “You don’t have to worry though. She won’t find out who you are. I’ve taken precautions.”

Huffing, Dawn sat up and started to climb off her bed. “We’ll talk about this later. For right now, we need to discuss what we’re going to do about Lieutenant Colonel Hopps. We only have one standard month before Lord Savage takes control of the situation.” Pulling on a silk robe, she grabbed her glasses then tossed another robe at the ram.

“There’s not much we can do, Dawn.” Doug reminded her as he pulled on the robe. It wasn’t even close to the size needed to cover his lower extremities. Following the ewe into her living room, Doug continued with his explanation. “Despite our efforts, we haven’t been able to discover anything about whoever it is that’s helping her. Neither Larry nor Gary are willing to accept another assignment, not that I blame them after how you treated them. They’re our best tracers and you treated the two like the scum one finds on the street.”

Dawn sat on her couch. “They failed in what should have been a simple task. Prior to that, they had a perfect record. So, forgive me if I had expected more of them.” Rubbing her eyes, Dawn added, “I can _not_ allow myself to fail. I’ve worked far too hard to let all this crash and burn.” Everything she had worked for could be ruined by this frakking bunny doe. She had to stop Lt. Col. Hopps as soon as possible.

Taking a seat on the couch opposite Dawn, Doug said, “Consider this for a moment, tell Larry and Gary that they haven’t completed their mission. After all, you told them to bring her back and they haven’t. Their mission is still technically ongoing. Tell them that they can use whatever means necessary. Tell them that if they fail this time, you’ll be the least of their worries as they’ll have to answer to Lord Savage. That should be incentive enough, wouldn’t you think?”

“I absolutely hate how commonsensical that sounds.” Dawn groaned. Looking at him, she asked, “Why do you have to be married to my sister? Why couldn’t we have met earlier than you and Dusk’s wedding? My life would have been so much simpler.”

Chuckling darkly, Doug stated, “Oh, believe me. I’ve asked myself that question many times. My guess, because neither of us would be where we are today otherwise.” Leaning forward, across the coffee table, he whispered, “Now let’s go back to bed. I’m not done with you just yet.”

The two quickly found themselves back in Dawn’s bedroom, tangled within the sheets. Neither were aware that during their conversation a Fly-Eye espionage droid had taken position directly above the bed. The images it caught were transmitted to a datapad in the hooves of one Dusk Bellwether-Ramses.

For a long time, Dusk had suspected that her mate and husband was cheating on her. Never had she imagined it would be with her own fraternal twin. Ire welled up within her chest as she continued to watch the two engage in adultery. _‘He’s never gone more than a single round with me.’_ she thought with pure rage. Dusk wished that the droid had audio capabilities so that she could have heard their conversation, but alas, it wasn’t equipped for it. Regardless, the vengeful ewe had more than enough to do satisfactory damage. Shutting the datapad off, Dusk ordered the valet droid to take her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to know what you think about changing the titles from 'Chapter' to 'Episode'. You know, to pay respect and emulate the original films.
> 
> Being stuck inside, my uncle is working on TZD and I on SWZ. Hopefully, we can get another chapter of each out this month despite having gone to a once-a-month release plan.
> 
> Another thing I want to announce is that if you're curious about T9-D4, the urls for the inspirations are below.
> 
> Also, before anyone questions the final scene, I'm a 14 year old male. I've come across far worse from others my age.
> 
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T7-O1
> 
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/R9-series_astromech_droid
> 
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/R2-D2/Legends
> 
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/T3-M4
> 
> Can you see it? T 9 D 4?
> 
> Also, the starship known as the Leviathan is homage to KOTOR, Admiral Saul Karath's flagship. To avoid confusion the ship mentioned isn't the homage, but the one they're trying to track. I haven't decided what type of warship the new one is.


	5. Chapter Four: Their First Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet a few new muzzles, learn a bit more about those we know, and see a hint of what is to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Ian 'Nemo' Moone here.
> 
> Readers, I wish you could see my uncle's face right now. Wide-eyed, manic look, constantly drumming his fingers, and blinking like a madman. We're almost a month, give or take, away from being graced with our newest additions to the family. I know I'm excited, but my uncle looks a tad bit panicked. Of course, when you're his age, I think I would be too.
> 
> But enough of that, let's get on to the chapter. Please read the End Notes for a minor announcement.
> 
> Oh, and the name of the starship, The Rusty Clunker was inspired by wrecker159753.

** Chapter Four: Their First Stop **

* * *

 

~~~~~

**The Red Light Sector – Nar Shaddaa**

~~~~~

The Smuggler’s Moon was a place Judy had never expected to visit. The bunny doe had expected visiting the Red Light Sector of Nar Shaddaa even less. Yet, she was currently sitting in a private booth with Nick, watching as a live sex show took place not more than a dozen paces away on a stage below them. “This can’t be legal.” she muttered.

“Actually, it’s perfectly legal.” Nick replied, as he watched the show. “I don’t condone what they’re doing, but they have to make a living somehow.” Taking a sip of his drink, he added, “Besides, this is one of the _tamer_ establishments in the area. Some of these places do interactive performances.”

“That’s just…disturbing.” Judy commented. “Couldn’t they find better employment? Why would they willingly subject themselves to this?” She understood there were any number of reasons behind why anyone would take this kind of job, but still. Taking a small swig of her own drink, she looked at the tod across from her. He didn’t even seem interested in what the, now three, performers were doing. Instead, his eyes were scanning the other booths, as if he was expecting something to happen. “Paranoid much?”

“I prefer to call it 'expecting the unexpected', but yeah, I’m a little paranoid.” Nick answered, ruefully. “When you’ve been through the stuff I have, you find your brain never lets you forget it. Tends to make you hardwired to anticipate complications.” Finishing his beverage, Nick set his glass down. “As you’ve probably guessed, this isn’t my first time on the Smuggler’s Moon. It’s one of the best places to visit if you want to get lost for a while.”

“I can appreciate that, given our current circumstances, but why couldn’t we have gone to the swoop track? Or even a casino? Anywhere except here, really?” Judy was trying not to express exactly how uncomfortable she was about where they were. She was ever so grateful when Nick gave her an apologetic smile and led her out of that place towards the swoop track. They made it a couple hundred meters away before she said, “Thank you.”

“No problem, but next time just tell me when you’re uncomfortable. M’kay?” Nick told her as they neared the swoop track. He led her inside then, after paying for a private box, guided her to their seats. “Looks like they’ve got a tournament today. Wonder who’ve they got participating?”

Spying a datapad in the seat next to her, Judy picked it up and read it. “I’ve got a list right here.” she said, giving it to him to examine. Hearing the official announce the start of the next race, Judy asked, “Have you ever taken part in a race?”

Setting the datapad aside, Nick shot her a smile. “A couple of times, but never in a professional capacity. As I told you before, I normally race when we’re strapped for credits. I do hold the fastest time on Telos IV, Tatooine, and Taris though. I’ve never raced here on Nar Shaddaa, but there’s a reason for that, and you’re about to see why.”

Confused, Judy turned to watch as the race began. She saw the swooper prep his swoopbike then get into it. When the light turned green and the race started, Judy realized exactly what Nick had meant. The track was running multiple races simultaneously. Not only that, but this swooper was racing the track backwards. “Is he insane!?” Judy cried out.

“Calm down, Fluff.” Nick said, calmly. “Every swooper that chooses to race this circuit knows the risks. I must admit though, I’ve often wondered the same thing.” He watched as the swooper weaved his way through the course with amazing skill. “He’ll crash in 3…2…1…now.”

Just as Nick said the word, Judy witnessed the swooper crash head-on into another racer. “How did you know?” she inquired, watching as medics rushed to the scene of the collision.

“Just had a feeling.” Nick responded. Watching was the swooper was carted off to receive medical attention, Nick’s ear flicked as it registered whispers and movement nearby. It was a bit muffled, but he was able to make out enough. “Do you trust me?” he inquired of the bunny doe beside him.

Being a bunny, Judy had caught the whispers and sound of movement as well. Without turning to look at him, she nodded then followed his lead. Together, they slipped out of their viewing box and, utilizing the crowd as cover, swiftly left the swoop track. “How do you think they found us?” she asked Nick after managing to put some distance between them and the track.

“I have an idea, but if I’m right, then we’ve got a major problem.” Nick answered. “We need to rendezvous with Skye and Finn, get to the _Night Howler_ , and see if I can contact an old associate of mine here on Nar Shaddaa. Hopefully, he’ll be able to provide us with a bit of info. Maybe, and I’d consider this a miracle, I’ll finally be able to convince him to join my crew. After all, things are starting to get real interesting.”

A few minutes later, Nick and Judy met up with Skye and Finn at the Star Cluster Casino. At Nick’s behest, the arctic vixen and fennec tod hightailed it back to the _Night Howler_. Nick then took Judy to Shadow Town’s High-Profile Ward to see whether his contact was still imprisoned there. As the Force would have it, his associate was indeed still there, but it wasn’t a mammal. It was a droid. “I would have thought you’d have escaped by now.” Nick stated in lieu of greeting the droid.

Judy looked at the droid in awe. The over all design was like nothing she had ever seen before. The size of it was equivalent to that of a maned wolf, but it more or less resembled a hyena. The bunny doe found herself trying to hide behind Nick for protection.

AE-47 examined the red fox tod and bunny doe before him. [Statement: I see you have not changed. I’m going to assume that you are once again going to try and convince me to join your crew. Need I remind you that unless I find it intriguing, I’ll continuously refuse?]

With a smug smirk, Nick said, “Oh, I think you’ll find this most intriguing, AE-47. You see this bunny doe currently using me as a shield? Her name’s Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps. Perhaps you’ve heard of her. She’s got quite a price on her head.”

Standing, AE-47 approached them to get a closer look. [Statement: Indeed, she does. Very well, you have my undivided attention.] AE-47 listened as Nick explained the situation to him. There were a couple of times the droid requested clarification about the mission parameters, but otherwise, the droid had to admit that their current situation was indeed most intriguing. [Statement: I must admit, I’m finally convinced that it’ll be a worthwhile to join you.] Straightening itself to its full height, the droid said, [Declaration: I, AE-47, hereby swear to serve as a member of your crew. Return to your starship. I shall join you momentarily.]

Thanking AE-47, Nick and Judy left the droid and caught a speeder taxi back to the spaceport where the _Night Howler_ was docked. When they arrived at the hanger, T9-D4 was waiting for them. Judy gave the astromech a hug upon seeing it.

“You’re going to have a companion joining us soon.” Judy told T9. “He’s…a bit different, but I think he’ll make a good counterpart for you.” Giving T9 a pat on it’s head, she looked at Nick. “So, how exactly did you become associates with AE-47?”

“That’s a long story.” Nick replied. “Short version is that I helped design him, with Honey’s help as well as the assistance of an old friend. Eventually, much like T9, AE-47 grew beyond his programming, like so far beyond his programming he became a fully sentient artificial intelligence. T9’s advanced, but AE-47? He’s on an entirely different level.”

T9 started to whirr, chirp, and beep. [I must say, I’m looking forward to meeting this droid. I can’t wait. I wonder what he’ll think of me.]

[Statement: I think that I’ll hold off on determining how I regard you until I know you a little better.] AE-47 explained as he approached them. [Addendum: However, I will confess that I think we’ll work well together as long as you’re aware of all of my functions and can accept them.]

[What are you’re functions exactly?] T9 inquired. [I can see that you appear to be a unique combination of droid models, but I’m finding it difficult to determine which kinds. Do you mind providing clarification as to what type of droid you are?]

[Pronouncement: Of course,] AE-47 began. [Continuation: I was built as an amalgamation of an Opticron, EPHEMERIS, IG-100 MagnaGuard, a class-6 protocol, and HK-Series assassin droids. I’m well-versed in a myriad of different areas of expertise, including espionage, assassination, military stratagem, and various combat disciplines. I’m also one of the only droids that is capable of wielding a lightsaber aside from Jedi and Sith training droids.]

Looking from AE-47 to Nick, Judy said, “Wait. You told me that you’re partially responsible for creating him. So, based on what he just stated, you’re telling me that you, Honey, and an unnamed mammal are essentially responsible for the creation of the most advanced multipurpose droid I’ve ever come across?”

[Clarification: His role was far more significant than simply designing me, Milady.] AE-47 stated. [Statement: Master Wilde was responsible for a lot more than that. He’s the one who convinced my programmer, Artemis Howle, to give me the capability to learn and evolve based on experience. He was also the one who trained me in the basics of my trade.]

Judy’s eyes widened at the droids confession, but kept them focused on the red fox tod. His expression told her that it was all true, which had her jaw drop in disbelief. It dawned on her that this mammal, the one she had somehow managed to convince into assisting her, really was on a much higher level than anyone she had dealt with previously. “I…I don’t know what to say.” she whispered.

Ears now flush against his skull, Nick gazed at her, a maelstrom of emotions within his eyes. It wasn’t often that Nick felt this way, but the thought of Judy fearing him wasn’t something he desired. Nick opened his maw to speak, but before he could, AE-47 spoke again.

[Interjection: I must apologize, Milady. It was not my intention to make you fear him.] AE-47 expressed. [Explication: You have nothing to fear of Master Nick, Milady. His reasons for participating in my creation were noble. Elucidation: He wanted nothing more than to create a state-of-the-art multipurpose droid that was capable of keeping up with him. To clarify, Master Nick designed and trained me, Master Honey was the one constructed me, and Master Artemis was responsible for my programming. They’re each partially responsible for my creation. It does not lie solely with Master Nick.]

It was a surprise for both Judy and Nick to know the level of respect that AE-47 had for his creators. Nick felt a sense of pride knowing that, despite everything between them, AE-47 still considered him his master. For Judy, AE-47 words were exactly what she needed to hear.

“Sorry.” Judy stated softly, lowering her eyes. “It’s not that I’m afraid of you. It’s just…I didn’t expect to learn something like that about you.”

Kneeling in front of her, Nick whispered, “Hey. Look at me.” When she did, he said, “I’ve got a lot of secrets, and my past isn’t really the best. Still, I want you to know that you’ll never have to feel afraid of me.” Taking her paws in his, Nick locked gazes with her and recited, “I, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, hereby swear that I will protect and serve you, Judith Laverne Hopps, until ordered otherwise. From this moment forth, you are my liege and milady until the moment you no longer need me.”

Heart pounding in her chest, Judy felt her ears flush and fall flat against her back. She didn’t know what to say or do in response to something like that. A tiny part of her wished that he had been a different, if almost similar, vow. When she finally managed to find her voice, Judy whispered, “Thank you, Nick.”

Giving her a soft, tender smile, Nick nodded. He wanted to say more, but suddenly, a feeling washed over him. _‘This sensation.’_ Nick thought. _‘There’s no mistaking it. What is she doing on Nar Shaddaa?’_

<MEANWHILE – ELSEWHERE ON NAR SHADDAA>

Exiting the _Rusty Clunker,_ the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Valeria Wilde, took a moment to take in the marvelous view before her. Memories of the last time she was here replayed in her mind. Closing her eyes and reaching out with the Force, she could feel life pulsating all across Nar Shaddaa.

‘This place hasn’t changed.’ Valeria though with a smile. Reopening her eyes, the vixen turned to the pilot of the _Rusty Clunker._ “I thank you for providing me with safe passage. Here’s your fee. You won’t have to worry about waiting for me. I’ll locate other means to get back.” Giving the pilot 3500 credits, she thanked him again and bade farewell.

The vixen navigated her way through the throng of mammals that called Nar Shaddaa home. Her destination: The Refugee Sector. Valeria knew she had to move swiftly. After all, time was of the essence. Despite her efforts, it still took longer than she hoped to arrive at the Refugee Sector. _‘Now all I have to do is find her. That is, if she’s even still here.’_ Valeria took to talking to some of the refugees, hoping to get some information on her old acquaintance’s whereabouts. She was on the verge of giving up when a young meerkat came up to her.

“Excuse me. You’re the one asking about a vixen named Scarlett, yes?” the meerkat asked. “You’ll never find her using that name. She goes by Felicity nowadays. If you want, I can take you to her.”

Smiling, Valeria said, “Why, thank you. I’d appreciate that.” Following the meerkat, she was surprised when he led her out of the Refugee Sector and towards Nar Shaddaa’s docks. The young meerkat then led her to a flophouse where a vixen was busy using multiple computers. “Can I ask what you’re working on? Or am I required to guess?”

Felicity Vix, formerly known as Scarlett Reddington, didn’t even bother to look at Valeria when she answered. “What do you want, Val? If you’re here to try and hire me, it had better be worth it, and I expect proper compensation.”

Valeria walked up beside Felicity and deposited the rucksack she’d been lugging around with her. “I’d like you to take a look at this and tell me what you think. If I’m right in my assumptions, you’ll drop everything to be involved.”

With a skeptical expression, Felicity grabbed the rucksack and brought it over to her examination workbench. Upon pulling out the head of that once belonged to the droid known as ‘Huntsmammal’, her eyes widened. Setting the droid’s head down reverently, Felicity asked, “Where did you get this?”

“That droid came after my friend Shifu and I while en route to Tython.” Valeria explained. “It managed to subdue both of us, which led us to determine that it wasn’t manufactured by any of the usual suspects. Our best tech specialist confirmed that its programming is far more advanced than anything they’ve previously come across.”

“I’ve only seen one other droid like this, but it was more of a prototype.” Felicity stated as she stared at the severed droid head. “Tim, bring me my toolkit, please.” Thanking the young meerkat, Felicity got to work carefully extracting the droid’s memory core. “Okay. Let’s see what secrets you possess, shall we?” Hooking the memory core up to one of her many computers, Felicity got to work sorting and analyzing the data the droid’s memory core contained. “This is unreal.” she muttered while scanning the readouts. “I’ve never seen programming this advanced. Not even when I examined that prototype.”

“What do you think?” Valeria inquired. “Is this worth it?” If it was, Valeria hoped that she’d be able to find someone who’d provide passage back to Tython.

“Let me get my stuff ready to go then I’ll meet you at the spaceport.” Felicity answered as she started moving to do just that. “You should get your things together too, Tim.” The meerkat raced around excitedly gathering what few items he owned, leaving Valeria to her own devices.

Exiting the flophouse, Valeria felt the Force leading her towards the docks outside. When she got there, Valeria found herself staring at a sight she never thought she’d see. “N-Nicky?”

“Hey, Mom.” Nick replied. “What’re you doing here?” Seeing his mother had memories flood his mind, but he didn’t let it show. He was honestly curious as to why his mother would be here on Nar Shaddaa.

“Shifu and I were attacked by a Jedi Killer droid.” Valeria explained. “I came here to request help from an old friend in investigating it. Nicky, it was far superior to every other Jedi Killer droid I’ve dealt with previously. It managed to hold its own against Shifu and I simultaneously.” Valeria could tell that there was something off about her son, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. Simply seeing him though? She considered that a blessing. “What about you? What’s your reason, or reasons, for being here?”

“I’m providing protection for a mammal that’s trying to defect from the Empire.” Nick told his mother. “I’m supposed to bring her to Coruscant, but complications arose that have use trekking across the galaxy to avoid drawing unwanted attention and getting captured.”

Eyes widening, Valeria whispered, “You’re the one who’s assisting the Lt. Col.?” Watching Nick nod, the vixen said, “Nick, I need you to listen to me. You must get her somewhere safe. It doesn’t even have to be Coruscant. Bring her to Tython if you can. The Empire has its best agents pursuing her. They even have the Sith involved.”

Hearing that Sith were now involved in pursuing them, Nick’s expression darkened. “They’ll have to get through me if they want her.” he stated gravely. “I don’t have that much time left. Look, in the event I can’t get her to Coruscant, I’ll bring her to Tython. I’ll see you later.” With that, Nick began to fade out of existence.

Valeria stared at where her son had just been, flabbergasted. _‘Why that little…! He tricked me!’_ she thought to herself irritated. Then the vixen had a moment of realization. _‘He…he used the Force to send that projection.’_ Her son had walked away from the Force years ago. To discover that he was using it once again, all because of this bunny doe, Valeria wanted to kiss her.

As for Nick, he opened his eyes with a gasp as he collapsed onto the bed within his quarters aboard the _Night Howler_ above which he had been floating in midair while meditating in order to send the projection of himself. With a groan, he rolled himself off the mattress and onto his hindpaws. Nick had to brace himself against a bulkhead of his quarters to remain standing. With how long it had been since he last used the Force, the exertion of sending that projection left him feeling completely drained. As Nick exited his chambers, he nearly ran right into Judy, who had apparently been debating whether to enter his quarters or not.

Seeing the signs of fatigue on his muzzle, Judy asked, “Are you okay, Nick? You didn’t look this tired earlier. Is there anything I can do?” She didn’t like seeing him looking like this, not one bit. When he gave her a tiny, but genuinely warm, smile, it alleviated her concerns a little.

“Nah, I’m good.” Nick told her reassuringly. “I have to ask. Have we departed yet? I haven’t really been paying attention. I was busy with a personal matter.”

“Yes, we have. We’re now en route to the Peragus II asteroid mining colony, just as you ordered.” Judy answered immediately. “AE-47 estimates that we’ll arrive within the next 12.5 standard hours. Also, he’s asked that I call him Rinzler. No idea what that’s about, but he said you’d explain.”

Chuckling, Nick replied, “Rinzler is the name he chose for himself when he became fully sentient. Only the mammals he believes are worthy can call him that. You should feel honored.” Nick went to step forward and stumbled, only to be caught by Judy. “Sorry, and thanks. Mind helping me to the cockpit?”

“Sure. Come on. Let’s go.” Judy told Nick as she assisted him to meet with the rest in the _Night Howler_ ’s cockpit.

[Salutation: Greetings, Master Nick. We are on a set course for the asteroid mining facility of Peragus II at your order. I have the autopilot engaged so that I may reacquaint myself with the _Night Howler_ ’s operating systems.] Rinzler, aka AE-47, reported. [Continuation: All things are proceeding splendidly.]

“Good.” Nick stated. “Now, I need everyone to listen up. After we leave Peragus II, we’ll set course for Coronet City on Corellia. Finn, I’ll need you and Skye to do me a favor. When we arrive on Corellia, I need you to get passage to Kashyyyk. I’m looking for a Grizzly-Polar bear hybrid named Hanbacca. Tell him I need to see him. Can you two do that for me?”

“What’s going on, Nick?” Skye asked while Finn just nodded in understanding. “Does this have anything to do with why you locked yourself in your quarters? If it’s important, we need to know.”

“I’ll explain later, Skye, but yes it does.” Nick answered. Looking to Judy, he said, “Come with me to the cargo hold. We need to clear a few things up.”

~~~~~

**Kaas City – Dromund Kaas**

~~~~~

Of all the Sith Lords that sat upon the Dark Council, the Dark Lord Wraith was one of the pawful whom Lord Savage held a great deal of respect. The large red wolf stood by the window of his chambers within the Imperial Citadel, looking out at the vast expanse of Kaas City. Lord Savage and his apprentice sat at in the chairs before Lord Wraith’s desk, waiting to hear what the red wolf would say. The jackrabbit, having only just informed his fellow Sith Lord of his failure to secure his proposed clone army, wasn’t sure how the red wolf would react.

“What’s done is done.” Lord Wraith commented, turning to look at his visitors. “At the time of your proposal, you told us that the chances were slim at best. Therefore, I cannot be too cross with you. Disappointed maybe, but not cross.” Reclaiming his seat, Lord Wraith said, “Plus, Lord Vicious already informed me that in the event you failed that he had a contingency in place.” Leaning back in his seat, the red wolf said, “Besides, I’d be foolish to think you purposely failed. I’ve watched you since you first joined us. I’ve seen you prove your worth time and time again. I’ve seen the times you’ve failed as well, so I’m also aware how self-deprecating you tend to be as a result. Use that self-loathing, harness it, and direct the power you draw from it to decimate the Republic.”

“Sometimes, I can’t wrap my mind around how you of all mammals, are a Sith Lord on the Dark Council.” Savage stated as he sat straighter. “You’re far too…lenient.” Turning to gaze out the window, the jackrabbit wondered what the red wolf had done to acquire his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Savage saw his apprentice keep her own gaze trained on Lord Wraith. Suddenly, he sensed the Force fluctuate around him, and he just barely evade as Jaesa let loose a barrage of Force Lightning at the red wolf. “What the fuck are you doing?” he shouted as he went to send her flying out the window. Before he could though, an ominous cackle erupted from the direction of the red wolf, drawing his attention.

Lord Wraith had captured the Force Lightning the young Sith apprentice directed at him in his paw. He saw her shock and terror as she stopped her assault. “Nice try, young one.” he commended with a smirk that oozed maliciousness. “However, you still have a long, long way to go.” Lord Wraith redirected the Force Lightning back at her, augmenting it with his own. Standing as he continued his retaliatory counterattack, the red wolf berated the young female wolverine. “You’re nowhere near ready to take on any of those who stand above you within our ranks. Allow me to demonstrate the power of one responsible for the destruction of an entire planet.”

Lord Savage stared in horror as his fellow Dark Council member used his command of the Dark Side assault his apprentice. Channeling his rage, the jackrabbit used the Force to raise the red wolf into the air and slowly crush him. “She…is…my…apprentice. Do…NOT…harm…her.” Savage growled. He slammed Lord Wraith into the wall with so much force, it caused the window to shatter. “I will handle her discretions, not you.” Releasing the red wolf, Lord Savage told his apprentice, who was struggling to stand, “Let’s go, cretin. Your punishment awaits.”

After Lord Savage and his apprentice had left, Lord Wraith rose to his hindpaws. Looking towards one of the corners of his chambers, the red wolf said, “You can come out now. They’re gone.”

As if appearing out of nowhere, a mongoose dressed in the attire of a Sith Lord emerged from the shadows. Walking to stand before the red wolf, the mongoose sent him a questioning gaze. When the red wolf nodded, the mongoose reciprocated the gesture then left to tail the jackrabbit and the wolverine.

Sitting back down in his seat, Lord Wraith contemplated what he would do if his suspicions were confirmed. It was true that he felt Lord Savage was a fine Sith, one of the greatest and most powerful of his generation. However, whispers had begun to circulate, rumors that the jackrabbit was no longer loyal to the Emperor and plotting an insurrection. While the red wolf doubted the rumors were true, he still wanted irrefutable and irrevocable proof that these suspicions were false. If it turned out the rumors were true? Then Lord Wraith wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to exact proper judgement upon the jackrabbit.

Lord Savage led his apprentice out of the Imperial Citadel and to the Nexus Room cantina. Sitting at an open table, he said, “You made a grievous error. Such actions require proper punishment.” Glaring at her, he stated, “You wish to prove yourself? Then, I’ll give you a chance to do just that.” Keeping his glared centered on Jaesa over his interwoven fingers, Lord Savage continued. “Deep within the Malignant Bog there is a cave known as the Cave of Shadows. Within it is an alter that requires one to meditate to release a Sithspawn. Your punishment is to trek there on foot, find the runes required, and slay whichever Sithspawn is summoned. You fail, you die. You succeed, you live. Why is this a punishment? You’ll understand when it’s over. Now leave me.”

Jaesa’s departure was seen by the mongoose Sith Lord, who kept her presence hidden with the Force. She discreetly followed Lord Savage, never letting him leave her sight. Her mission was to determine if the jackrabbit Sith Lord, who held the title of Emperor’s Wrath, was secretly betraying the Emperor and staging a coup d’état. Tailing him, she saw no evidence of any kind that suggested Lord Savage was plotting an insurrection. He was simply wandering the city wasting time until his apprentice’s return, _if_ she did indeed return. The mongoose determined that her next task would be to investigate the party responsible for generating the rumors. The only question that remained for her in that regard was: who had it been?

~~~~~

**Aboard the _Soldier of Fortune_ – Bunnyburrow Spaceport**

~~~~~

At Clawhauser’s behest, M-9PX set course for the settlement of Bunnyburrow on Dantooine. Despite knowing that their quarry had already left the planet, the cheetah felt that it would be beneficial to speak to her family so that they could get some insight as to what type of mammal one would call Lt. Col. Hopps. General Bogo agreed that maybe it would be a good idea, ordering M-9PX to follow Agent Clawhauser’s command. Which is why all of them were currently waiting to disembark their ship at the settlement’s spaceport.

“Alright, listen up.” Bogo commanded. “Dantooine is controlled by the Empire. Meaning we’re in enemy territory. Keep your eyes open and watch your six as well as your partner’s. M-9PX, you stay with the ship. Jedi Wolford and Lt. Col. Fangmeyer, I want you to go around and talk with the settlers. Remember: discretion is key. Agent Clawhauser and I will visit the Hopps farmstead. Let’s roll.”

They were all wearing civilian clothing to blend in as best they could. Admittedly, predators were a minority in Bunnyburrow, but Clawhauser had read reports from SIS HQ showing that if they played the role of tourists they’d be fine. Splitting up to perform their assigned tasks, Harrison and Zannah asked around for the location of the best eatery. The consensus was ‘Gideon Grey’s Cantina with the Really Good Baked Stuff’, which turned out to be the actual name of the place. Upon entering the establishment, the two found themselves seeing a sight they never thought they’d see.

Gideon Grey’s Cantina with the Really Good Baked Stuff was a lively shoppe, filled with the smells of pies, tarts, and all sorts of other pastries. The clientele was comprised of a variety of different species, a majority being lagomorphs with a couple of other species thrown into the mix. While none of the bunny does and rabbit bucks seemed to notice anything strange about their presence, they did draw the attention of a red fox tod wearing an apron behind the counter with a male ferret who tending to a pair of customers.

Skillfully maneuvering through the crowd that occupied his establishment, Gideon Grey greeted the two new arrivals. “Welcome to my little saloon. I’m Gideon Grey, the owner. What can I get you two?” Gideon led them to an open table as he listed what types of treats they offered. Giving him their choices, they watched as he went to make it then turned their attention to listening in on the conversations around them. Both wondered how General Bogo and Agent Clawhauser were fairing.

As it turned out, the buffalo and cheetah had yet to locate the burrow owned by the Hopps farmstead. While everyone obviously knew of the Hoppses, no one was able to point them in the right direction. They had spoken to nearly a dozen or so mammals before someone managed to give them the answers they were looking for. The buck happened to be a member of the Hoppses who had come into town for some items at the request of his mother. He offered to them a ride if they’d agree to help in return. Together the three made quick work of gathering the items the Hopps matriarch had wanted from town. Then, the buck drove them to the Hopps’ burrow. Upon seeing it, they understood why no one was able to identify it.

Chuckling, Dave Hopps admitted, “Yeah. It’s not what one would normally expect, but it’s home. The story goes that when the first members of our family settled here, instead of building a whole new burrow, they simply decided to renovate this place. From what we’ve managed to piece together, it’s an old Jedi enclave that was destroyed at some point.”

The structure did indeed have all the hallmarks of an old Jedi enclave. There was evidence at some point in the past that it had been the target of an assault. The Hopps warren had done an excellent job at renovating it, though it still clearly seemed to be a major work in progress. Neither buffalo nor cheetah knew what to think about this new development. In fact, they were so absorbed in their own thoughts that they didn’t notice the Hopps matriarch approach them.

“Can I be of some help to you?” Bonnie Hopps inquired. Her son Dave had informed her of their guests, prompting the older doe to see what it was they wished. Although it was quite amusing to see the two try to wrap their minds around the fact her family had converted such a structure into their home, the realization of exactly who stood before her had Bonnie concerned. She had seen this buffalo more times than she could recall offhand from her daughter Judy’s holos. Despite her fear, Bonnie kept her face relaxed.

Having been snapped back to reality, General Bogo said, “Ah, yes. I’m looking to speak with the Hopps matriarch.” Receiving a ‘follow me’ gesture, he and Clawhauser did so and entered the ‘burrow’ behind the older bunny doe. For whatever reason, the structure was large enough to accommodate their larger size. They were led to a large sitting room where they joined the Hopps patriarch, Stuart. Taking a seat in the offered furniture, Bogo went to speak, but was cut off by Bonnie.

“We know who you are General Bogo.” Bonnie said softly. “We used to see you repeatedly when our daughter would watch your recruitment holo. Before being carted off to serve in the Empire’s military forces, she would tell us all about how she wanted to serve alongside you to make the galaxy a better place.”

“You’re here because of our daughter, ain’t ya?” Stu inquired with a tiny inflection of hope to his voice. “Please say that you’re here to help her.” Wringing his paws together, the buck spoke in a voice that conveyed guilt, regret, and shame. “Bonnie and I haven’t always been the most supportive of our children and their dreams of something greater, but Judy…” The rabbit buck shook his head. “Judy continued to fight back. When we first learned she wanted to be a Jedi, Bonnie and I listed all the reasons that she’d never be one. So, she chose to become a soldier. Then, that buck from the Imperial Recruitment Office came and witnessed her defend some of our other children. He had her carted off faster than we could even try to stop them.”

“Stu and I have been beating ourselves over how we’re partially responsible for her current situation.” Bonnie added. “You see, we discovered that Judy’s a Forceful by accident. We found her in the lower levels practicing tele…telaken…”

“Telekinesis?” Clawhauser provided. “How Jedi manipulate their physical surroundings via mind and willpower.” the cheetah explained. Serve with enough Jedi, talk to them, and you learn a great deal of information that most wouldn’t be privy to even if they tried.

“Yeah. That.” Stu stated with a nod. “She had caused all of the furniture within the room to leva… levu … Brussel sprouts, to float. We never told her we caught her. She’d kept it a secret, so we figured she had done it for a reason. When they came for her we learned that if she admitted to it they’d send her to some horrid planet to learn equally horrid things. So, we kept our maws shut.”

Bogo thought about the few times he had spoken to families that had had a loved one extradited to Korriban. The stories had left quite an impression on his psyche. One mother had told him how her son would write to her about feeling so broken, as if his mammality was being slowly stripped from him, his soul slowly dying. He wanted to tell them that he’d do everything within his power to get their daughter to safety, but once again he was interrupted. This time by a knock on the door followed by a young rabbit buck, no more than possibly 9, enter with Harrison and Zannah in tow.

“Mama, these two said they were their friends.” the youngster stated, pointing to the buffalo and cheetah. “They’re very nice. The wolf even scared the bullies away from me.”

Bonnie got up and walked over to her son. “Oh? You told him ‘thank you’, right?” she inquired. When he nodded, Bonnie tousled his head. “Good boy. Now, go join your brothers and sisters. Papa and I need to have a private talk with them. Okay?” Watching as her son ran off, she told the wolf, “Thank you. Most of my children tend to get targeted for our choice in living here.”

“It’s nothing, Ma’am.” Harrison replied politely. Looking around, the wolf said, “I must say, this place is in very good condition. I’m assuming you did most of the repairs yourselves. Is that correct?” Receiving a nod from Stu, Harrison nodded in approval. “You’ve done a good job. Though, I must admit, I never knew we had an enclave here. I’ve never seen any records of it either. By any chance, do you know if some of the materials were left undestroyed?”

Mere minutes later, Bonnie and Stu reentered the sitting area after having left to collect the items that Judy had sequestered to her room. There were items that had the wolf’s jaw drop. Amongst the collection of Jedi artifacts were holocrons, Force crystals, signet rings, Jedi credits, and various texts. The wolf tried to utilize the holocrons, but the gatekeepers refused to grant him access to the knowledge they possessed.

While the wolf was engrossed in studying the Jedi artifacts, General Bogo, Agent Clawhauser, and Lt. Col. Fangmeyer conversed with Bonnie and Stuart Hopps about their daughter Judy. Bonnie spoke of how Judy had trained incessantly to meet the necessary requirements to join the Republic’s military. Stu kept silent the entire time, choosing instead to simply let his mate and wife do all the talking, as he didn’t want to break down in tears.

Bogo and his crew listened intently, trying to absorb all the information they could in an attempt to gain some idea of what would be Lt. Col. Hopps’ next move. It was late into the evening when Bogo decided it they needed to return to their ship, stating they would return tomorrow. Despite this mission being time sensitive, he felt that the more information they had on Lt. Col. Hopps, the greater their chances of locating her. Bidding farewell to the Hopps warren, Bogo’s crew went back to the _Soldier of Fortune._

Turning to the wolf Jedi, Bogo asked, “What’re your thoughts? You seemed to be lost in thought once you were finished studying those artifacts. Did you discover anything useful from them?”

“I didn’t learn much.” Harrison admitted. “The gatekeepers weren’t exactly forthcoming with me. I only managed to convince one that I was there to aid their student, and only after divulging my name. It would appear that that particular gatekeeper knew one of my ancestors. He told me all he knew in exchange for bringing Young Judith, as he called her, in for proper training.”

“And? What was it that you learned?” Bogo inquired. He hadn’t a clue about Jedi and their ways other than they made fearsome warriors on a battlefield. As far as he knew, not a single member of his family had ever been a Forceful, as they called them. Regardless, they needed to know everything they could about their mammal of interest if they were going to locate and deliver her to safety.

“She’s quite powerful.” Harrison stated slowly. “More powerful than any prior student the holocron gatekeepers ever came across previously. I think that if I can speak to the gatekeepers collectively I could potentially learn more. From what that particular gatekeeper told me, Ms. Hopps may just be the most powerful Forceful next to both the Sith Emperor or the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.”

Zannah spoke up at this point. “I think that, with their permission, we should see if it would be possible to take the entirety of her collection with us. Reason one being that Jedi Wolford could study them and get more information on her. Reason two would be so that when we find her that we can prove that we’re allies. If what Jedi Wolford says is true, then speaking the names of these gatekeepers may very well be the deciding factor.”

There was a sudden knock on the starships entrance which drew their attention. Quickly glancing amongst themselves, the crew drew their weapons in preparations for a possible attack. Wolford, being a Jedi and somewhat skilled mediator, approached the hatch.

Madge ‘Honey’ Badger looked directly at the security camera and said, “Let me in. I have info you’re gonna need in your search.” Holding up the epaulet of an Imperial Lt. Col. that she’d stealthily taken from Judy’s shoulder during her short visit, Honey found herself pulled into the ship faster than her brain could register. Finding herself before a rather large buffalo and surrounded by a wolf Jedi to her right, a military tigress to her left, and a surprisingly large cheetah behind her, Honey whistled. “Damn. They sent the big guns after her. didn’t they? Names Honey, and I think you’ll wanna hear what I’ve gotta say.”

~~~~~

**The Apartment of Dawn Bellwether - Zootopia**

~~~~~

The dim light of a Zootopian morning shone through the window of Dawn Bellwether’s bedroom. Opening her eyes slowly, the ewe found herself still cuddled up next to her lover, Doug Ramses. His snoring was soft, so unlike her previous lovers. Despite her callous and cold personality, Dawn really did hold special feelings for the ram. A twinge in her lower abdomen had her sneak out of bed and into the adjacent bathroom. Relieving herself, a random though popped into her head. _‘When’s the last time I menstruated?’_

A quick mental calculation placed her last time at roughly six weeks ago. A shiver of dread traveled up and down her spine at the realization. Quickly glancing down, her hopes of seeing red were dashed as there was no indication of bleeding. Dawn released a shaky breath. _‘Okay. Calm down. Stress can lead to a late menstrual cycle. That’s something you learn in the educational system. That’s all this is.’_

Still, the possibility that she was carrying Doug’s child weighed heavily in her mind. ‘Just to be safe I’ll schedule an appointment. If I am carrying his offspring, then by law he has a say in what will happen to the fetus.’ A pang of fear and guilt coursed through her at the thought of what Dusk would say or do at learning of her husband’s bastard child with her own sister. It lasted for a whole second before it vanished like a dry leaf in a firestorm. Dawn didn’t know why it came to her, but the though of using this child as leverage immediately seemed perfectly reasonable. Hell, she had used even worse tactics to secure her position. ‘I still need to make that appointment regardless. Need to know for certain in case I’m required to provide proof.’

Doug was beginning to stir from sleep in the meantime. Waking up and not having Dawn curled up beside him wasn’t his preferred way to start his morning, but it happened from time to time, usually due to her bowel movements running like the Zootopian Express’s train schedule, which infamously operated like clockwork. With purpose, the ram entered Dawn’s kitchenette, as she saw no reason for a regular sized one because how little she was here. Opening her refrigerator, he noted she had nothing edible inside it. _‘She really needs to purchase foodstuff.’_ he grumbled mentally to himself.

Upon hearing the door to the bathroom open, Doug turned to see an expression on Dawn’s muzzle he couldn’t place. At first glance it appeared to be a mixture of elation and malicious intent. However, it vanished so swiftly that it was possible the whole thing was simply his imagination. “Morning, Dawn. Shall we get ready for work? Or is there something you wish to do first?” The ewe looked as if she was thinking about it before shaking her head. Sighing, Doug said, “Then let’s get moving. We have things to do if we’re going to manipulate Larry and Gary.”

They quickly got dressed in their more iconic attire, fitting their positions as government employees sanctioned by the Empire. As per routine, Doug left first followed by Dawn a few minutes later. Doug was already present in his customary place within her office when she arrived. Nodding to him, Dawn entered her office and called for her secretary droid, who came immediately.

“I need you to make a doctor’s appointment” Dawn ordered the droid. “Without Doug’s knowledge. You’re not to tell him anything about it.” She made sure to emphasize that addition. Once the droid left to perform the task assigned to her, Dawn readied herself for what she and Doug had planned during their late-night romp the evening prior. Dawn wasn’t one to beg, but necessity demanded that this once she suck up her pride to do so in order to remain in her position of power. She had worked too hard for too long to let a little naïve bunny doe turn her into a failure.

Larry and Gary weren’t exactly pleased when their superiors told them to hightail it to Dawn Bellwether’s office. When they had told the two that it concerned the fact they hadn’t completed their assigned task, neither Larry nor Gary understood. It was merely curiosity that had them return to the office of the pompous ewe. Their arrival was greeted by Doug Ramses, who proceeded to apologize to them for what happened their last meeting. He expressed to them that things would be different, not by much, but it would. He then led them into Bellwether’s office, where they sat in the offered chairs.

“I was out of line last time we met.” Dawn stated. “I had set my standards to high, but I must point out your track record was the reason. You had never failed previously, so I had been under the impression you two were infallible. It slipped my mind that you, like me, are mammals and prone to failing every now and again. Now, all that being said, you have yet to complete your assignment, which was to retrieve Lt. Col. Hopps and bring her back here to face judgement. We need to discuss whether you’re going to see your mission through or not.”

Out of the two wolves, Larry hated the idea of leaving a mission incomplete the most. Gary would follow the arctic wolf no matter what decision was made. The timber wolf wasn’t sure if Larry knew the exact reason Gary continued to follow him, but whether the arctic wolf did or not meant little. As long as they stayed together, Gary didn’t give a damn what they did.

“We’ll see it through to the end, Ma’am.” Larry declared strongly. “All we ask is for a starship and the most up-to-date information. We’ll keep you updated on our progress when we can. Please know, however, that the time in-between updates could be intermittent.”

“Consider me informed, Agent.” Dawn replied. “As for your request for your starship, I’ll have a list of possible vessels forwarded to you to choose from. They’re probably not the best, but they’ll have to do for the moment. You’ll be allowed a replacement sometime later in the future, but until then…” She shrugged.

That was enough for Larry. Signaling for Gary to follow him out, the arctic wolf grinned at knowing that they still had a chance of keeping their perfect record. They ran back to base to collect supplies then headed for the spaceport and waited to be sent the list of starships from which they were to make their selection. The list ended up having a total of 12 ships, none of which were remarkable by any stretch. After a discussion on the pros and cons of each, the two chose an old rust bucket called the _Forgotten Skylark._

The starship wasn’t anything extravagant. After all, it was an old decommissioned cargo hauler. It had everything they needed though, so it would do. They got their clearance for the ship within seconds of selecting it. Giving the Portmaster their clearance, they were led to their newly acquired starship and given permission to depart.

Looking at Gary, Larry asked, “What’s your gut say?” There had been way too many times that Gary’s infamous gut had proven more reliable than anything else when on a hunt. There had previously been a time when he had thought of the possibility Gary was a Forceful, but records showed that his pack had never had one before, so chances were nearly nonexistent. Still, the arctic wolf would trust his partner’s gut over the Empire’s best when it came to predicting the movements of Republic’s military.

Gary stared out the cockpit’s viewport in thought. It was true that his pack had never produced a Forceful before, but there’s always a first time for everything. Gary had hidden the truth of his nature as a Forceful out of fear that he’d be taken away from his pack. To make matters worse, he and Larry had met when they were younger, but the arctic wolf didn’t appear to remember. Gary had risked his safety back then using the Force to protect the arctic wolf. His reason? Love at first sight. How pup-ish was that. Still, even after Larry’s departure, Gary strove to improve himself in the event they met again, which they did, but Larry hadn’t recognized him. Despite this, Gary was happy being his work partner. Although, he hoped that someday Larry would eventually recall who he really was and what happened between them.

Hearing Larry ask him a question, Gary started to input the information on where he felt would be their best option. It wasn’t the route one would normally take when they were trying to reach Coruscant, but it was there that Gary felt would pay off the most. “Course locked. Ready to depart.”

“Here we go.” Larry stated as he started up the ship. The starship sputtered for a bit before firing up completely. “We’ve got to do whatever we can to get this thing the maintenance it needs.” Larry grumbled under his breath. He then prayed a short prayer before jumping to lightspeed.

<MEANWHILE>

Dusk Bellwether-Ramses was finding herself in a pinch. Sitting in the drunk tank of the Zootopian Police Department, the ewe wondered if anyone was coming to post her bail. The sound of her cell door opening prompted her to sigh in relief. Unfortunately, the one who came to collect her was the last mammal she ever wished to see: her father,

She sat in her father’s speeder while he spoke to the jailer. Her thoughts drifted to the reason she was even here in the first place. How does one tell their parent that their marriage was effectively over due to another one of their offspring? Dusk didn’t know if there was an answer to that question which didn’t bring heartbreak.

When her father entered the speeder, Dusk said, “Doug’s cheating on me with Dawn.” She chose to simply state it outright. There was no reason to draw it out any longer than necessary in her book. Surprisingly, her father didn’t show any sign that this was shocking to him. Instead, he simply nodded as if that was what he expected her to tell him. “You’re not goi—”

“I’ve know that since the first time you called me telling me that you suspected Doug was cheating on you, Dusk.” Mr. Bellwether stated, cutting her off. “I was well aware they were having an extramarital affair behind your back. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Everyone in the family could tell it was happening aside from you. My own suspicions were confirmed during a conversation where he tried to pass it off as a mistake saying he had to get home to Dawn.”

Resting her head against the window in defeat, Dusk inquired, “Why didn’t anyone say anything? Did anyone even try? Or did they and I just ignore them?” So many questions for which she had no answers. How had she missed the signs? Had she really been so blind?

Mr. Bellwether didn’t answer as he continued to pilot his speeder towards his home. They arrived to find Doug waiting for them. Turning to his daughter, Mr. Bellwether said, “Doug doesn’t know that you know. If you truly want to get back at him, use that.” He then got exited his speeder and entered his home.

Dusk got out of the speeder and walked over to her husband. “Sorry for worrying you. I had a bit of a rough night. I don’t really remember most of it, but I know that it wasn’t anything major.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Doug told her, giving her a hug. “I was worried when word finally reached me. I can’t imagine what it was like in there for you. I’ll make it up to you tonight. I’ve been giving the day off tomorrow. We’ll do something special.” Doug gave her a deep kiss to really sell it.

When the kiss was over, Dusk gave him a smile. _‘Oh, we’ll do something special alright. I’m going to make sure you never leave me for my tramp of a sister.’_ she though sinisterly. Dusk was determined to play a game with both her husband and her sister. One that would ensure that neither of them would ever find happiness with each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AE-47! Our own version of HK-47. Inspirations are as follows:  
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-47  
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Opticron  
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/EPHEMERIS  
> http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-51_series_assassin_droid  
> If anyone wants to give it a try designing him, have at it.  
> Also, [Further Reading: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Counterpart]
> 
> Okay, so we didn't get any entries for the Starshipwright Contest. Truthfully, we didn't expect any. We just thought it would be a fun thing to do. Now, we'll be keeping the chapter entry about it up in case anyone still wants to submit something. There just won't be any rewards for submissions.
> 
> However, since that is over, we can move forward with our next item of business. Lightsaber colours!!
> 
> As most of you know, the colours of a lightsaber correlate to the type of Jedi a mammal is. Blue = Jedi Guardian, Green = Jedi Consular, Yellow = Sentinel, Red = Sith, and Purple = Mace Windu (actually, purple was another Sith colour in SW Legends).
> 
> Truth is that there are a lot more lightsaber colours than just those. We have silver, orange, viridian, cyan, white, pink, and even black. [Further reading: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber_crystal#Known_color_crystals]
> 
> This poll is simple: Choose a character, select what colour lightsaber they should have, and type a short explanation as to why. This poll will be posted again as a separate chapter entry for you to post your submissions. Titled: Lightsaber Crystal Poll. All comments are to go there.
> 
> Until next chapter y'all.


	6. Chapter Five: Disturbances and Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all wounds are physical. They can be psychological, spiritual, or emotional. We all create 'wounds' everyday of our lives. The problem is we don't realize it until it's far too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I watched videos of KOTOR II: TSL. Peragus II is the first 'Dungeon', and it's lengthy. So lengthy, in fact, that I found myself utterly incapable of writing a chapter that equivalates to it. Therefore, I instead chose to only focus on the key moments of that segment of the game.
> 
> We also get a bit of a hint of about a few lightsaber(s). Also, the start of romance. Just a tinge of it though.
> 
> Chapters 6 thru 10 were prewritten, but after noticing a few inconsistencies made by my uncle, I'm having to revise them a bit. Still expecting to release the next chapter on the 22nd.
> 
> Anyway, on with the chapter.

**Chapter Five: Disturbances and Wounds**

* * *

** The _Night Howler_ – en route to the Peragus II asteroid mining facility **

~~~~~

Judy stared at the red fox tod that sat across from her on the floor of the cargo hold. Up until a few moments ago, the doe hadn’t given much thought about the probability of him being a Forceful like herself. Although now, after everything he had just told her, there was no doubt in her mind about it. She had sensed the truth of his words through the Force. Judy knew that there was clearly more he wasn’t telling her, but she also sensed that, given enough time, he would eventually be comfortable with the idea. It was still a _lot_ to take in though.

Nick, for his part, waited patiently to hear what Judy was thinking. After all, he had just told her most of his life story, minus the parts that he wasn’t ready to share just yet. He also had another reason for doing this in the cargo hold. It was the largest and most spacious area of the _Night Howler_. If Judy accepted the offer he had given her when he had finished speaking, then it would be here they would get started. Now, all he had to do was wait to hear how she would answer.

“I…if you’re willing, then I’d like to accept your offer, Nick.” Judy stated softly. “I don’t know how well I’ll do, but I at least want to try.” She witnessed as Nick release a sigh of what appeared to be relief. When he gave her a smile, she couldn’t fight giving him one in return.

“Okay. Then we should get started.” Nick replied. Standing, he walked to a footlocker and pulled out two lightsaber training staffs. “I haven’t used these in a _long_ time. Glad I never got rid of them.” Nick commented as he tossed one to Judy. “Let’s see what you got, Fluff. Take a ready position.”

Remembering what she had been taught by the holocrons back home, Judy took a ready stance that most Jedi initiates were taught. The bunny doe took notice that Nick had taken a battle-ready stance of his own. This was all it took to indicate to her that he intended for them to spar, so that he could assess her skills.

The match began when the door to the cargo hold opened and Skye entered just in time to see the two of them burst into action. Skye’s jaw dropped as she watched the two clashed, locking blades, before separating in order to strike again. The arctic vixen couldn’t look away, no matter how hard she tried. Right before her very eyes, what was meant to be a sparring session quickly became something that was instead far more reminiscent of an intricate mating dance. There was no other way to describe what she saw than ‘Divine’ and ‘Eldritch’. It was as if Nick and Judy were attempting to prove themselves worthy of one another through battle.

For Nick and Judy, it was exactly that, as well as so much more. It was as if they were in their own pocket dimension, where it was only the two of them, locked in a duel that determined whether the other was worthy or not. Neither of them played the lead role in this complex dance of theirs. Neither could gain the advantage over the other. Not only that, but the two couldn’t help but having fun despite their current activity.

A smile found its way across Nick’s muzzle as he continued to spar with Judy, and he could see one of her own as well. Yes, lightsaber combat wasn’t normally something that one considered fun. Maybe exhilarating, but not fun. Mostly since it resulted in the death of one or more combatants. However, Nick felt a thrill sparring with Judy. One he hadn’t felt in so long that the red fox tod had almost forgot what it felt like.

When they clashed in another blade-lock, their muzzles were close enough that a step forward from either of them would have resulted in a kiss. Fox and bunny, tod and doe, both the natural enemy of the other, brought together and bound to one another by the will of the Force. It was as if it they were reacting on instinct when the two of them stepped forward and locked lips for the briefest instant in a kiss that broke when the red fox tod and bunny doe separated from one another only to resume their sparring session anew and reinvigorated.

As for Skye, the arctic vixen simply stood there, unable to move as she witnessed all this take place. For a moment, the only thing she could think was that this was the first time she had ever really seen Nick so… _alive_. Sure, there had previously been times that he would seem enlivened, but nothing compared to what she was bearing witness to now. She suddenly felt like a voyeur, spying on an intimate moment between two lovers. Leaving them alone, she made her way back to the cockpit to rejoin Rinzler and Finn. T9 was simply going around the starship, making sure that everything was working at maximum proficiency.

Back in the cargo hold, Nick and Judy’s sparring session came to an end when the tod had finally managed to trap the doe in a corner, where he kissed her again. The kiss started out passionate, but slowly became soft, sweet, and tender, the type of kiss one would only give to their soulmate. They separated their lips from those of the other when they had to stop in order to catch their breath. The two rested their foreheads against each other’s with their eyes closed as they did so.

“Flirt.” Judy whispered, making Nick chuckle. A smile on her muzzle, Judy leaned her head back against the bulkhead to look up at him. His emerald green eyes gazed lovingly into her own amethyst ones.

“Hmm. If I’m not mistaken, you initiated that first kiss the same time I did.” Nick replied teasingly. He then bumped her nose with his own. His expression became serious as he said, “I want you to know that I fully intend to court you properly, or at least as properly as I am able with our current state of affairs.”

Still smiling at the tod, Judy stated, “I’d expect nothing less from you, Slick. Just so you know, I plan on doing the same. I just want you to promise me that no matter what, when it comes to training, you’ll be objective, not biased.”

“I promise.” Nick vowed. “As long as you know, I’m not going to go easy on you just because I’m courting you either. I also meant everything I said back on Nar Shaddaa. I’m not going anywhere unless you send me away.”

“Good.” Judy whispered before kissing him again. When she pulled away, she said, “You should go check on the others. We shouldn’t be too far from our destination by now. I’m going to retire to my bunk for now.”

Watching her walk away, Nick felt his heart pounding within his chest, his tail whipping behind him. When she paused to give him a smile over her shoulder, Nick gave her a smirk in return, one that sent the message ‘just you wait’. Once she was out of sight, Nick headed for the cockpit. “How long ‘til we arrive?”

[Announcement: We shall be arriving at the Peragus II asteroid mining facility in approximately half a standard hour, Master.] AE-47, aka Rinzler, answered. [Statement: I must say, I’m curious as to your reason for choosing it as our current destination.]

Finn was the one who answered. “It’s the best place to stock up on fuel. High quality fuel at a low price. Besides, chances are no one would bother to look for us here.”

“That’s right.” Nick confirmed. “Best to go straight for the source. You always pay more when purchasing through a middlemammal. Plus, this is so far off the beaten path there’s little to no chance those pursuing us would look here for us.”

“Dropping out of hyperspace.” Skye announced. “We’re on final approach. Hope they got a docking bay available for us.”

They set down in Docking Bay 25. By the time they were ready to disembark, Judy had rejoined them with a worried expression. Seeing her troubled expression, Nick told everyone to wait and looked at Judy as if asking the doe what was bothering her.

“Something’s wrong.” Judy answered in a voice just above a whisper. “It’s like there’s no life. I don’t sense anything from the facility. I mean, shouldn’t I be sensing the presence of the miners?”

Reaching out with the Force, Nick discovered that Judy was right. He didn’t sense the presence of life from anywhere within the facility. Something was definitely wrong. He didn’t like this at all, but they needed fuel, and this was the best place to get it. “Okay. Everyone wait here for a moment.” Heading to his quarters, Nick opened an old lockbox and extracted two items he never thought he’d use again until he met Judy. Nick also took out another, similar, object that he felt Judy would need. He returned to the others with his twin lightsabers attached to his belt.

Judy saw this and was surprised when Nick offered her what appeared to be another, smaller lightsaber. It was a tad shorter than the others Nick currently had on him. Looking at him questioningly, Judy went to inquire why, but Nick spoke before she could.

“I want you to hold onto that.” Nick told her. “That’s a lightsaber shoto, or short-saber. Use it until we have to parts required to construct your own.”

“Are you sure?” Judy asked, hesitantly. Getting a nod from Nick, she couldn’t stop herself from also asking, “Who did this belong to originally?” Nick’s shrug had her quirk a brow.

Sighing, Nick said, “Look Cottontail, I just happened to come across it during a job. Picked it up simply because I thought it would be useful later. That’s all.” Kneeling down to be eye level with her, Nick added, “I’m glad I did though. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have it to give to you.”

Hooking the lightsaber shoto to her belt, Judy gave him a small smile. “Alright. Let’s investigate what happened here.” She then followed Nick and the others as they disembarked from the _Night Howler_. She stayed close, not wanting to get separated from the group. T9 was staying aboard the starship though, in the event they needed to make an emergency getaway.

They made their way into the facility, not knowing what to expect. The deeper they got, the more they realized just how empty the place was. Not coming across a single soul, a feeling of dread at what they’d find wormed its way into their minds. Nick and Judy remained in close proximity to each other as did Finn and Skye. AE-47 was solo, but didn’t articulate a complaint about it, seeming to prefer it that way.

The five of them, after much spelunking throughout the entire facility, found themselves on the administration level. That eerie feeling had only grown worse. No one said anything as Skye tried to slice one of the terminals to get information.

“Okay.” Skye finally said, after managing to gain access into the system. “Looks like we got a couple of entry logs here. Last one dates back to approximately one standard month ago. Let’s see. According to this, there was an accident in the mining tunnels. Another says that a starship arrived with no life signs onboard, but there were a few of droids. The last entry doesn’t seem to be finished, being cut off midway through.”

[Exclamation: Master, I’m picking up a myriad of droids throughout the facility.] AE-47 announced. [Observation: While a majority seem to be mining droids, there appear to be a few others that do not meet that classification. Postulation: It is possible that these other droids are responsible for the disappearance of the miners.]

Finn apparently thought the same, saying, “Wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened. There’s that old tale of that ship whose droids suddenly emancipated themselves and wiped out the crew after their life preservation programming was somehow purged from their software systems. If it happened once already, why couldn’t it happen again?”

“It’s a possibility.” Nick admitted. “Skye? What else you got?”

“Nothing.” Skye answered. “I mean, other than those log entries, I’ve got nada, zip, zilch. There’s nothing that give any indication as to what happened here.”

“Guys?” Judy whispered. “I think you’ll want to turn around.” Her tone was enough to have the others turn to look at what she had her demand their attention.

There, standing not a few paces away from their group, was a singular droid. Unlike other droids, this one didn’t seem to bear any makers marks to indicate or identify its manufacturer. Its size was roughly that of a wolf, but its design gave it the appearance of a tiger. [State your business.]

Cautiously, Nick said, “We came looking to stockpile fuel for our starship. We’ve purchased fuel here on numerous prior occasions. When we weren’t greeted, we became suspicious that something terrible had befallen the miners. Decided to investigate.”

The droid didn’t say anything for a span of maybe a minute, then said, [What is the quantity of fuel you are looking to purchase? I will have the specified amount provided for you upon your return to your starship. Afterwards, your immediate departure is requested.]

AE-47 spoke up. [Observation: Master, this droid seems to be receiving its orders from somewhere else deep within the facility. It would be my guess that someone, or something, here does not want others knowing about his/her/it’s activities. Permission to act.]

“Hold on, Rinzler. There are other ways for us to handle this.” Nick stated. Addressing the droid, Nick asked, “Can we speak? Muzzle to muzzle, I mean. We mean you no harm. We just want to talk.”

[Negatory. Now, please specify the quantity of fuel you wish to purchase. Failure to comply will result in your termination.]

“Really wish it hadn’t come to this.” Nick stated. Reaching out with his right paw, he made a gripping gesture then, using the Force, pulled it back roughly, ripping the droid’s head clean off its chassis. Knowing that the droid still had enough power to send a final message to whoever was controlling it, Nick said, “Meet us in Docking Bay 25 with our fuel. You specifically. Not some random droid. _You_.” He then used the Force to crush the droid’s head. “Let’s get back to the _Night Howler._ ”

Nick, Judy, and AE-47 waited outside the _Night Howler_ for whoever, or whatever, was running the facility to appear while Finn and Skye loaded the sparse fuel containers around the docking bay into the ship. If a droid appeared, AE-47, being a droid himself, would be able to identify it as the one behind the other droid’s actions. Nick and Judy stood ready in case a blasterfight broke out. The sound of something approaching had the three turn to observe the new arrival. They were admittedly a little astounded to see that it was a just sensor ball.

[Do not let my appearance fool you. This _is_ my true self.] the drone stated. [You stated that you wished to know the fates of the miners. Nearly two and a half standard months ago, an incident in the tunnels resulted in noxious fumes that spread throughout the facility. Unable to counteract this, the miners fled, leaving us, the droids, behind. Necessary measures were taken. With the help of various other droids, I was able to expand my programming. I sent out a distress signal that prompted a crew of droids, both mining and otherwise. This facility is now entire operated by droids. The noxious fumes have since dissipated, but the miners have not returned.]

“I’d wager that’s also your own doing.” Nick replied. “After all, why have mammals return here when you’re more capable of running this facility with greater efficiency? Without the miners here, you have full control of how the fuel is distributed. My question is: to whom do you supply? The Empire? Or the Republic?”

[I supply fuel to whoever is willing to purchase it from me.] the drone answered. [Be it the Empire or the Republic, it makes no difference to me. The war will ensure that I remain in business for its duration.]

“Is there no way to convince you to only support one side?” Judy asked. “Are you aware of the nature of the Empire? If they deem it necessary, they’ll probably destroy this entire asteroid field to make certain that no one else can have access to this fuel source.”

[Improbable. The fuel I provide is among the best in the galaxy. Destroying this facility wouldn’t be beneficial to their war effort. Your reasoning does not compute.]

[Mockery: Does not compute. While you have a good grasp of galactic marketing, you fail to realize that it is nearly impossible for a droid to accurately predict the actions of mammals.] AE-47 stated. [Statement: Whether your fuel is among the best or not means nothing. If they see the destruction of this facility as a way of ensuring that the Republic, or their allies, lose a fuel source, they will do so.]

The drone was silent for a couple of minutes. When it finally did speak, it said, [You have received the fuel you requested. Now, leave.] It then floated away.

Boarding the _Night Howler,_ Nick shook his head. “Let’s get out of here. Set course for Corellia.” Finn, Skye, and AE-47 headed for the cockpit, leaving he and Judy alone as T9 resumed making rounds throughout the ship. Feeling Judy press herself up against him, Nick whispered, “Do you still have that bad feeling?” When he felt her nod, he said, “Me too. We need to get out of here, and fast.”

Soon, the _Night Howler_ was leaving the Peragus II asteroid mining facility’s Docking Bay 25. The ship hadn’t gone far when the sensors started going off. Another starship dropped out of hyperspace. It had all the markings of an Imperial-aligned starship.

“Rinzler! Skye! Get us the hell out of here!” Nick shouted.

“Roger!” the two yelled back. They immediately had the ship take off at a high rate of speed. Weaving skillfully through the asteroid field, they put the _Night Howler_ through evasive maneuvers, trying to lose their pursuers, without avail. Suddenly, they saw the discharge of a laser cannon fly past them.

“Okay, they’re clearly insane.” Finn muttered to himself. “If they hit even one of the asteroids, which are highly explosive from the fuel they contain, they’ll take out the whole field. Not only that, but we can’t jump to hyperspace while we’re still within its confines.”

Nick and Judy looked at each other for a mere moment. Neither of them could see any alternative options, and they knew it. They only had two options available to them. One: They could try to get clear of the field then jump to hyperspace, which could fail if those chasing them hit an asteroid. Or, option two: fire on an asteroid and hope that the explosion took them out, but this meant they would be responsible for the destruction of an entire planet as well as a potential fuel source for the Republic.”

“Fire on an asteroid.” Judy ordered, which came as a shock to everyone, with Nick being the sole exception. Her voice clearly expressed how heavily making this decision affected her. “There’s a very real possibility that they’ll end up hitting one anyway, taking out the entire asteroid field with us along with it. If we do it, then at least we have a chance of getting clear and making the jump to lightspeed.” Looking at AE-47, Judy repeated, “Fire on an asteroid.”

[Declaration: As you command, Milady. Firing upon an asteroid.] AE-47 replied. He charged the _Night Howler_ ’s laser cannons then began to fire upon a rather large asteroid, which promptly exploded, causing a chain reaction. They then managed to clear the field and jumped to hyperspace.

Judy slumped against the nearest bulkhead. She broke down into sobs. The decision had had to be made, but Judy hadn’t wanted it to be on Nick’s conscience. So, she decided to take it upon herself. Judy knew he would have told them to do the same, but she didn’t want him to suffer the backlash. Therefore, Judy became his sin eater, the one to make the decision and to pay the price of it. She tensed up at the feeling of someone embrace her, and smelling Nick’s scent, she broke down crying as she latched onto him.

Finn and Skye shared a concerned look. True, they knew that what they had just done was the most optimal choice given the options presented, but neither of them had expected for it to be the bunny to make such a decision. After all, she had told them that it was her goal to make the galaxy a better place. Now, she was responsible for the destruction of a planet. You don’t just simply get over something of that magnitude. They went to say something only to find Nick picking up the now unconscious doe in his arms.

Looking at the others, Nick whispered, “I’m taking her to my quarters to rest. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve got her settled.” With that he carried Judy to his bed, set her down, and ever so gently caressed her cheek. Laying a tender, loving kiss to that same cheek, he whispered, “Sleep well, Love.” Judy hummed in response, making Nick smile. Then, he returned to the cockpit.

~~~~~

**The _Thousand Sunny –_ en route to Tython**

~~~~~

Valeria’s eyes opened as she felt a ripple in the Force. It was so tiny that if she hadn’t known better, the vixen would have thought she imagined it. Looking out the viewport of the starship she and Honey had secured transport back to Tython, Valeria wondered what had caused it. Her commlink beeped letting her know she had an incoming message. “This is Valeria. What’s the situation?”

“Peragus II’s asteroid mining facility was just recently destroyed. Nick’s starship was present, but so was another starship, one affiliated with the Empire. An investigation is being held to determine which was responsible.” Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford informed. He had been one of the first mammals she contacted after her encounter with Nick’s Force Projection. His almost compulsive obsessiveness to stay informed on all major events was why Valeria had tasked him to remain vigilant regarding anything having to do with her son.

“I see. Thank you for telling me. Keep me informed on any further developments.” Severing the connection, Valeria closed her eyes and sighed. Hearing movement in the seat across from her, opened her eyes to see Felicity sitting down with a large plate of food. “That’s, like, your fifth plate of food.”

“I’m hungry, and food was a luxury in the Refugee Sector.” Felicity retorted. “Besides, Tim needed more food than I did. So, I always made sure he was fed first. Can’t have my assistant die on me, can I?”

“No. No, you can’t.” Valeria mumbled, looking back out the viewport. After a short while, the Jedi vixen asked, “Where did you find him? He seems a little young.”

“Believe it or not, I saved him from being purchased by some sick fuck looking for a sex-slave.” Felicity stated angrily. “The sick cunt was planning to ‘break’ him then morph him into his dream fucktoy. I killed the fucker, and promptly purchased him to save face. Once we got back to my flophouse, I told him he was free, but he just stayed at my side, asking questions, looking for ways to help and repay me. So, I started teaching him what I know. Tim’s a good kit. However, he really needs to spend time with kits his own age.”

“He can play with the younglings when we get to Tython.” Valeria replied, feeling a bit angry with this unnamed mammal for what he had planned to do with young Tim. “I saw you studying the droid’s coding earlier. Did you discover anything new?”

Swallowing the bite of food that she had been chewing, Felicity grunted. “Not really. I mean, yeah, I found out a few things, but nothing anomalous. There really isn’t much. The droid’s memory core is highly encrypted, which is taking longer than I’d like to decipher. I’m running an application that’s working on decrypting it. Hopefully, by the time we reach Tython, it’ll have something for us.”

“Hmm.” Valeria hummed contemplatively. There was silence between the two vixens. It was broken when Valeria said, “You haven’t changed.”

Snorting, Felicity gave Valeria a knowing look. “I’ve changed plenty. You have too.” Leaning back and folding her arms in front of her chest, Felicity asked, “You ever gonna tell me the reason you left? Or am I going to be kept in the dark?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Felicity.” Valeria told her softly. Felicity’s ‘try me’ expression made Valeria shake her head with a small smile. “Okay. So, I was pregnant. Seems like a normal thing, but not amongst the Jedi Order. Romantic relationships aren’t normally viewed as…well, let’s just say while they aren’t prohibited, they _are_ frowned upon. Anyway, I fell in love, got married in secret, mated, knotted, and came to be with kit. My mate…he’s got enemies out to get him. So, to protect myself and our kit, I was forced to go into hiding.”

“What does any of that have to do with why you left? I don’t see the correlation, if any. I’d like it if you gave me a straight answer for once.”

Chuckling, Valeria stated, “Fair enough. You must understand, I didn’t want to simply leave without a word, but I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. I had received a communique that those whom I had taking care of my son had been slain, but there was no sign of my son anywhere. The Jedi Order didn’t know the truth of the missing kits parentage. So, I had to leave in order to reveal the truth to them.”

“The father’s enemies, I assume.” Felicity could understand a mother’s drive to protect their kit. It wasn’t something she had experienced herself, but she had seen the lengths mothers would go to make sure their kits were alright.

“Something like that.” Valeria admitted. “My mate was furious when he learned of it. He ensured our son’s safe return. My mate wasn’t exactly around as our kit grew up, having gone into hiding himself. I never told my son the truth, but I’d wager he’s figured it out by now.”

“Sounds rough, and complicated.” Felicity observed. “Just so you’re aware, after you left me, basically high and dry mind you, I was incarcerated for a while. Not long, but long enough. I hated you with every single fiber of my being. After a bit of time passed, I got over it, because I figured you had your reasons. I still wanted an explanation though. I’m glad I finally got it.”

“Sorry for making you wait.” Valeria apologized. “But, in my defense, if I had known what you had us doing, I would have left you high and dry anyway. What were you even thinking? What was so important about what was in that storage facility?”

“Oh, like a metric ton of lightsaber crystals.” Felicity answered, nonchalantly. “I spent weeks, if not months, locating the damn place. I was planning on having you deliver it wherever you saw fit, be it Coruscant, Ossus, Tython, or any of the other planets where the Jedi Order had an academy or praxeum.”

With a blank look on her muzzle, Valeria asked, “Seriously?” Upon receiving a nod from the other vixen, Valeria blinked. “Huh.” It was at that time the automated voice came over the ship’s intercom.

“Attention all passengers. We are making our final approach for the planet Tython. Please collect your items and thank you for selecting us as your transport. Have a pleasant day.”

Grabbing their items, Valeria, Felicity, and Tim disembarked the _Thousand Sunny._ The two vixens and one meerkat hailed a robo-hack bound for the Palace of the Jedi. None of them were aware that as the starship departed, so too had a young female otter.

~~~~~

** Kaas City – Dromund Kaas **

~~~~~

Lord Savage was sitting in the Nexus Room cantina awaiting his apprentice’s return. It had been many hours since her departure, too many. In truth, the jackrabbit wouldn’t be surprised if the young female wolverine never returned. A Sithspawn was not a creature one should take lightly. Hearing someone take a seat next to him, Lord Savage glanced out of the corner of his eye to find Lady Vehemena, another female wolverine, but one who held the rank of Sith Lord. “To what do I owe this displeasure, Lady Vehemena?”

“The death of your apprentice.” Vehemena stated, coolly. “Her carcass was just brought back to the Imperial Citadel. Since no one claimed her remains, they’ll be disposing of it shortly.”

“That’s too bad. She would have potentially made a fine Sith Marauder.” Lord Savage replied without a trace of any emotion. “However, this only proves she was weak. I have no need of a weak apprentice.”

“I agree. That is why I was told to inform you that another has been chosen for you. They’re awaiting your arrival in your chambers at the Citadel. I think you’ll find this one much worthier of your attentions. From what I’ve heard, he’s one of the most powerful acolytes to have survived the Sith Academy, but not the one on Korriban. He survived the Sith Academy on Umbara.”

This news piqued the jackrabbit’s intrigue. “Is that so? Very few ever manage to survive that place. This should be interesting indeed.” Setting his glass down, he leaned over to whisper in Lade Vehemena’s ear. “If you’re looking for a thank you, you know where to find me.”

Sending the jackrabbit a smirk that clearly expressed the message ‘I’ll see you sometime later’, the female wolverine bade farewell and left, leaving Lord Savage alone. His relationship with Lady Vehemena was strictly a sexual one, a curse of him being a lagomorph. She was older than he, and more experienced. He was younger, if only slightly, and could easily satisfy her needs. The two of them had entered their affair due to mutual benefits, but they were nothing more than casual fuckbuddies.

Downing the rest of his drink, Lord Savage exited the cantina. Getting a ride to the Imperial Citadel, the jackrabbit made his way to his office chambers to meet his new apprentice. He was greeted by a sight that astounded him a bit. Standing there, in the middle of the room, was a weasel, one who carried upon his belt a guard shoto lightsaber. “You must be my new apprentice.” he said in lieu of a proper greeting.

Turning to face his new master, the weasel bowed, “Indeed, Lord Savage. I am Acolyte Duke Weaselton. I look forward to learning how to eventually kill you.”

The weasel’s words sent Lord Savage into a fit of laughter. “Oh, I like you.” the jackrabbit stated after calming down. “I should warn you though, arrogance was the reason for my last apprentice’s downfall. Don’t make the same mistake.” Gesturing for the weasel to follow, Lord Savage said, “Come with me. We are scheduled to leave for the ecumenopolis of Zootopia. We have important business that requires attention.”

Falling in line behind his Sith master, Weaselton said, “As you say, my lord.” During his time training at the Sith Academy on Umbara, the weasel had done nothing but focus on becoming one of the greatest acolytes in hopes of studying under a Dark Council member. Hearing that his master would be Lord Savage was like a dream come true. However, Weaselton hadn’t been told that his master had only just lost his last apprentice until he had arrived. The discovery had left him a bit miffed, but he simply chose to see it as his predecessor being an unworthy specimen. Weaselton had every intention of proving that only he was worthy of being Lord Savage’s apprentice.

Reaching the _Reviled Behemoth,_ Lord Savage and his newly acquired apprentice commanded the ship’s crew to set course for Zootopia. As they began preparations, the two retired to their private chambers. Weaselton decided to meditate in the privacy of his quarters. Lord Savage had other ideas.

Selecting the commchannel of the Sith Emperor, the jackrabbit waited to see if there’d be an answer. When the holoterminal generated the image of the Sith Emperor, Lord Savage knelt before it. “I apologize if I’m bothering you, my Magnus. It is just that I have not heard anything from you since last we spoke so many weeks ago. I had begun to fear that you had forgotten your most loyal, trusted servant.”

“Rise, Lord Savage.” the Sith Emperor commanded. “Fear not, for I could never forget you, nor any of my adherents. I have simply been occupied with business of a personal matter.”

“I beg pardon for intruding, my Magnus.” Lord Savage reiterated. “If I may inquire, does this matter have to do with the young bunny doe that I’m hunting? I do not wish to overstep my bounds, but I do feel that I have the right to know. Why is it that you’re protectin—” Lord Savage felt his airway constricting.

“That is _none_ of your concern, Lord Savage.” the Sith Emperor stated in the gravest of tones. “Let me be absolutely clear: _No one_ is to harm Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps. Anyone who _does_ so shall suffer a fate far, _far_ worse than death, regardless of whether they a member of my Empire’s military, a Dark Jedi, or even _you_. Do I need to be any clearer?”

“N-No, s-s-sir.” Lord Savage managed to choke out. His answer was apparently the correct response as he was then released from the Sith Emperor’s Force Choke. Gasping for breath, Lord Savage looked upon the one to whom he had sworn undying loyalty and allegiance. “I just wish to know why you’re so protective of her.”

“She is a catalyst, Lord Savage. The catalyst I have been waiting for the entire duration this war.” the Sith Emperor explained. “If anything happens to her, all this will be for naught.”

“I understand, my Magnus. I shall make sure that no harm befalls her.” Lord Savage swore. With that the transmission ended, leaving Lord Savage to ponder whatever it was the Sith Emperor had planned for his end game.

~~~~~

**Home of the Hopps warren – Bunnyburrow Settlement – Dantooine**

~~~~~

Bogo and his crew kept their word, returning to the Hopps warren’s residence the next day. Their conversation with Honey Badger late last night had been quite eye-opening to say the least. The reveal that the Hopps warren were known for their archaic traditions and old-fashioned thinking had quickly painted both the matriarch and patriarch in a very different light. Honey promised to provide proof by joining them on their visit. Sure enough, the moment Mr. and Mrs. Hopps spied Honey amongst their ranks their expressions changed to show that the badger had been correct. They were now all seated in a secluded sitting room that was inaccessible to the younger residents.

“Why did you fail to divulge the truth to us at our first meeting?” Bogo asked, not bothering to hide his malcontent in the slightest. “You made it sound as if you actually cared for your daughter, yet you wish to see her punished for doing what she believed was right. Have you no shame? Do you really consider yourselves proper parents? Never, in all my years, have I felt more disappointed in anyone than the two of you.”

Neither Bonnie nor Stu answered, preferring instead to stare at their hindpaws. Harrison simply stood off to the side, observing them, using the Force to sense and gauge their true reactions. What he felt from them was guilt, regret, remorse, shame, and despair. Honey had tasked some of the Hopps warren’s younger kits with helping her relocate Judy’s Jedi artifacts to the _Soldier of Fortune_ for him to examine later. Right now, however, he was to act as a living lie detector, so that’s what he focused on doing.

“You…you don’t understand.” Stu finally whispered. “Our warren, we’ve always been pacifists. Never has there been a member, buck or doe, that has had such a fire within them as Judy. We tried our hardest to remain unknown, your ordinary, everyday warren that didn’t draw attention from anyone. We didn’t want to get involved with the war. But, Judy?” Shaking his head, Stu sighed. “She’s different. We did everything within our power to try and make her…normal. Yet, no matter what we did, it never worked.”

Bonnie took over when Stu started sobbing uncontrollably. “Judy’s kithood was full of adversity. Others viewed her as a pariah, shunning her. What friends she had were predators, which we never understood. Then, one day, during a local festival, she got into an altercation with that…that…that fox Gideon Grey and his ferret friend, Travis. He maimed my daughter leaving her scared on her left cheek. He’s changed since that day, but I’ll never forget what happened. Judy never backed down. She stood her ground, fought back…, and won. She stood above Gideon Grey, as if towering over him, putting on a display of superiority. Everyone froze in shock at what they had witnessed. Other warrens came to us, asking if it was possible for Judy to train them. Judy’s actions caused this place to change.”

Stu managed to pull himself together. “Don’t get us wrong, we love Judy. But neither of us were prepared for…any of it, really. When we discovered she was a Forceful, we were so scared. We asked around, trying to see if anyone had ever heard of a lagomorph who was a Forceful. The answer was always the same: No. We didn’t know what else to do. So, when that recruiter came by, we thought that maybe if Judy saw what it was really like, she’d come to her senses and be a regular doe.”

“She never did.” Bonnie stated. “In fact, whenever we heard from her, she’d tell us that she was living her dream of making the galaxy a better place. It was just happening slowly. Then later, we learned that Judy was considered a fugitive for trying to defect to the Republic. While our other kits cheered, we panicked. Some, if not most, of our kits want to follow Judy’s example and join the Republic. If too many of our kits leave, we won’t have enough farmworkers on paw, leaving Stu and I without income.”

“You let your fear take control of your lives.” Clawhauser said before either could say anything else. “Your daughter is making a difference, making the galaxy a better place. You two tried, and failed, to stop her from being true to herself. I’ve known a lot of families like you. Do you know what they have to say about their children? That they were only doing what’s best for them, which is a load of malarkey. You’re simply doing what’s best for _you, not her_. You wanted her to be normal so that you could have that perfect little warren, where nobody could accuse you of being any different from anyone else. I feel sorry for your daughter for having parents like you.”

“I concur.” Harrison seconded. “I’ve dealt with families that would have been proud to call her their daughter. They wouldn’t have asked her to change anything about her, would love her the way she is now. I can sense you feel ashamed, guilty, regretful, mournful, and remorseful. Yet, that means nothing, because you feel all that for the wrong reasons. If the Jedi Order had known about your daughter before now, we would’ve taken her for training. Instead, you hid her existence until you could no longer. _That_ is why you should feel the way you feel.” A knock on the door drew everyone’s attention.

Zannah stood in the doorway with a serious expression. “We need to get moving. Someone alerted the Imperial authorities to our presence.” Casting a glance at the two heads of the Hopps warren, she continued. “Also, Honey’s gotten all of Lt. Col. Hopps’ Jedi artifact collection into the ship’s cargo hold, along with a couple of her droids. She claims the payment for her services is to help her and two others off this rock.”

Bogo huffed. “Let’s go then. We can’t waste any more time here.” They quickly filed out, Bonnie and Stu behind them. Once outside, Bogo turned to glare at the doe and buck that headed the Hopps warren. “I think I can guess who is responsible for alerting the authorities. Therefore, I want you to listen very carefully. One day, you’ll hear about your daughter, who’ll be called a hero. When that day comes, I can guarantee you won’t know what to do with yourselves. You two need to seriously rethink how you raise your kits.”

Within mere minutes, the crew of the _Soldier of Fortune_ boarded their ship, which was already prepared for departure. Much to the surprise of Bogo, Harrison, Zannah, and Clawhauser, M-9PX was seated in the captain’s chair with a young teenage rabbit buck and bunny doe each sitting in the pilot and copilot’s seats respectively. Honey was screaming at M-9PX to get them ‘the fuck outta there’, prompting the droid to say, “Okay, junior pilots. You heard her. Get us out of here.”

The _Soldier of Fortune_ ascended into the sky rapidly. With a slight adjustment of their heading the young buck hit the accelerator, sending them shooting forward at great speed. The ship’s alarms began to blare, signifying they had hostiles approaching.

“RED ALERT! MAMMAL YOUR STATIONS!” Bogo ordered. With everyone in motion, Bogo got himself situated in the seat of a set of laser cannons. “Jedi Wolford! If you got any tricks up your sleeves, I’d appreciate if you used them!”

Harrison got into a meditative position in the center of the starship. Reaching out with the Force, Harrison attempted to touch the minds of those pursuing them. Subtly, he used the Force to trick them into believing that the _Soldier of Fortune_ was a civilian ship and that they had missed their quarry. Relief flooded him when he felt the pilots break away.

Bogo grumbled about not even being able to fire a shot, but begrudgingly accepted it. Rejoining his crew, and their new additions, the buffalo said, “So, now that we’re once again underway with our mission, where is our next stop?” Looking around awaiting to see what answers they’d provide, Bogo’s eyes settled on the badger.

Seeing General Bogo look at her, Honey sighed. “I’d set a course for somewhere no one would suspect. My guess, plot a route for Tatooine. I think your Lt. Col.’s friend still has associates there.”

Nodding, Bogo had M-9PX plot a course for Tatooine. In the meantime, everyone went to their own rooms to get some shut eye. Harrison, on the other paw, took time to examine the holocrons. Reaching out for them with the Force simultaneously, he quickly spoke to the gatekeepers before they vanished. “Wait. Please. I want to help young Judith. My name’s Harrison Wolford, a Jedi Knight.” Kneeling, Harrison pleaded, “Please help me save and protect her.”

The silence that stretched on for who knew how long was broken when a voice asked, “Would you happen to be Fenrir Wolford’s kin?” The gatekeeper, a different one from last time, watched the Jedi wolf raise his head and nod. “The Wolford pack always produced Jedi of great power. Therefore, I’ll assist you.” Quite quickly the others followed suit promising to help however they could.

“Thank you all so much.” Harrison stated as he got into another meditative position. “First, let’s discuss what you have already taught her. Then, I’ll need each of your assessments on her. I need all the information I can get so that I can find her.” With that, Harrison began to listen attentively as each gatekeeper explained what they had taught their favorite student.

~~~~~

** The Emperor’s Star Fortress – on the furthest fringes of the Unknown Regions **

~~~~~

Located just on the furthest fringes of the Unknown Regions was a space station that combined both ancient and modern technology. The structure served as a temple and fortress for the Sith Emperor, Magnus Lucifox, who was currently the sole mammal aboard. The totally black-furred reynard stood looking out the viewport, paws clasped behind his back. His nine tails, byproducts of Sith alchemy, swayed gently behind him. His gold eyes with slitted pupils, another byproduct of his immersion into the Dark Side of the Force, took in the sight he beheld. The beautifully vast, seemingly never-ending expanse of the galaxy stretched out before him.

A pang of loneliness flared within his chest, causing him to place a paw above the spot he had felt it. How long had it been since he had last seen his mate? Had his son discovered the truth of his parentage yet? He had no answers for those questions, which pained him immensely.

The Sith Emperor recalled the day the Jedi High Council had exiled him from the Jedi Order. None of them had been aware of the life blossoming within Valeria’s womb. When asked if he had fallen, he had answered that it was a matter of perspective. Jedi Master Shifu had also been present at the time. The red panda advocating for him, which had led to Shifu’s dismissal from the High Council. The act had enraged him to no end, resulting in him leaving with after giving a grand speech about how sometimes the galaxy doesn’t need a hero, but a monster.

His departure from the Jedi Order had sparked an uprising unlike any before in their history. Those amidst the Order who shared his beliefs followed him. There were others that chose to view him as the same monster he had claimed to be during the fateful meeting with the High Council. Still, his mate had chosen neither faction. She, along with Jedi Master Shifu and a few others, vowed that they would always consider him their friend or family, but would not leave the Jedi Order. He couldn’t fault them for their decision, yet he wished they had come with him.

Memories of his last night making passionate love with his mate flooded his mind. It was that night she had told him of their kit growing within her womb. Never had he felt such elation, such jubilance. The following morning, just before he left, she had sworn a vow that she’d reform the Jedi Order. There was, and still wasn’t, any doubt in his mind she would succeed in her goal. Her tenacity was one of the qualities he found most endearing.

The first time he ever met his son was when he and some of his zealots attacked the Jedi academy on Yavin IV. It had to have been the will of the Force that they crossed paths. He knew that the young red fox tod was his son by his eyes. His son had inherited his mother’s colorations, but the young tod had inherited his eyes. The Sith Emperor had told his son to run, hide, and not come out. Thankfully, his son had obeyed without hesitation. He had then screamed for Valeria through their Force bond to let her know what was happening.

After that incident, the Sith Emperor had kept a close eye on his son. He had watched him mature into a fine tod, capable of holding his own. When his son had been captured and sent to the Trayus Academy on Malachor V, the Sith Emperor had done everything within his power to ensure that his son was given the most difficult tasks to complete. Each time, he couldn’t have been more pleased to hear that his son exceeded the expectations of every one of the overseers at the Academy there. Then, to the disbelief of everyone, his son had activated the Mass Shadow Generator, destroying the planet, and disappeared without a trace. The Sith Emperor hadn’t been worried, knowing that his son was capable of taking care of himself.

When he learned of Judith Laverne Hopps, the Sith Emperor had instinctively and intuitively known the truth about who she was and her true nature. His reason for protecting her was simple: she was the one destined for his son. Therefore, she was family. There was also the fact that once she grew into her own, achieved her full potential, and matured, the bunny doe would be a nigh-unstoppable force of nature. Together, with his son, they would be a perfect storm.

Turning away from the viewport, the Sith Emperor made his way to his throne. Taking a seat, he relaxed and let himself succumb to fatigue. Utilizing the ‘restful-sleep-in-danger’ ability, he entered a trancelike state. While there was still much that he needed to get done, the Sith Emperor knew it could all be done at a later time. For now, he let himself rest. 

~~~~~

**Leodore Lionheart’s Apartment – Coruscant**

~~~~~ 

The Coruscanti sun was just setting, creating a lovely scenic view that Supreme Chancellor Lionheart appreciated from the outdoor balcony of his apartment. There was the sound of rustling behind him, causing the lion to turn peer over his shoulder at the literal tigress that occupied his bed. A sigh escaped Lionheart as the thought of how long he and his mate had hidden their relationship. Despite Coruscant being one of the more forward and openminded planets, there was still a deep-rooted disgust towards those who took mates outside their own species. _‘This isn’t the life I promised her.’_ Lionheart thought to himself, looking out at the Coruscanti skyline.

Rousing from her slumber, Sierra spied her mate over on the balcony overlooking the Coruscanti cityscape. Quietly as she could, the tigress snuck up on him then wrapped her arms around his waist. Seeing his melancholy expression, she asked, “What’s wrong? And doing tell me that this isn’t the life you promised me. If you do, I’ll smack you upside the back of your head.”

Lionheart couldn’t help chuckling at his mate’s words, and felt a genuine smile stretch across his muzzle. “Okay, I won’t tell you that. Doesn’t mean I don’t or won’t continue to feel that way though.” 

Sighing, Sierra whispered, “Leodore, listen to me. Sure, I’d like to be able to walk with you paw in paw out where everyone could see us. However, I’m happy just being with you, like this.” Resting her head on her mate’s back, Sierra continued. “Maybe, someday, we’ll finally be able to enjoy being out where everyone can see us together. Right now, I want you focused on the war effort. Everything else can wait until it’s over.”

Turning around so that he could reciprocate his mate’s embrace, Lionheart gave her a kiss. “How did I ever get so lucky to have you?” He already knew the answer, but it seemed like the right time to drop that line. He laughed when she scoffed in mock annoyance before bursting out in laughter herself. “Come on. Let’s go to bed. I need to be rested for tomorrow.” He didn’t get much rest that night.

The following morning, despite the overwhelming lack of sleep, Supreme Chancellor Leodore Lionheart felt spry and fully refreshed for the long day ahead. He arrived at his office chambers with a smile on his muzzle that didn’t seem to want to part with him. Gazelle was already there waiting for him. “Ah, Senator Gazelle. Isn’t it a wonderful morning?”

“Someone seems to be exuberant today. Something good happen at home last night? Or did your mate give you a special wake up call?” Gazelle was one of the few mammals aware of the truth of Leodore and his mate Sierra. In return for his trust, he was privy to her own secret of being a polygamist with two husbands.

“Both.” Lionheart answered, grin still on his muzzle. “We can talk about that later though. We need to prepare for the next senate session.”

Chuckling, Gazelle started getting her things together. “This session going to be a rough one, you know. Are you prepared for what’s coming?” She recalled the whispers that were making their way throughout the halls of the Senate Building. It would be this session that would determine if Lionheart kept his position or if another would take his place.

“I’m thoroughly prepared.” Lionheart replied. “No matter which way this goes, I’ve got everything ready for the consequences.” With the papers he needed in paw, Lionheart headed for his seat.

Ascending into the Senate Room, Lionheart looked around at those gathered. Spotting Gazelle in her regular seat, Lionheart gave her a wink that said, ‘I got this’. “Ladies and gentlemammals of the Senate, as all of you are aware, our efforts in this war have taken a significant toll on all of us. Some of you have had their worlds all but destroyed. Others have lost even more. I’ve even heard that many of you wish to move for a vote of no confidence and an immediate change in leadership.”

Murmurs quickly began to echo within the Senate Chambers. Various delegates tried to speak over one another. The murmuring turned to yelling then to screaming. This lasted for a whole of 5 minutes before the senseless noise was drowned out by a mighty roar. All the representatives fell silent as they looked at the source: Supreme Chancellor Leodore Lionheart, who was straightening his attire.

“Now that I’ve regained your attentions,” Lionheart began. “I’d like to make a statement. Prior to my ascension to this position, I too had the same responsibilities as all of you. I was a delegate of Naboo, much like our former Queen of Naboo, Senator Gazelle, who I know you all adore to no end.” Clapping his paws together, Lionheart smiled. It was the smile of a death row mammal that just received news he was being pardoned and set free. “The reason I called this summit was to inform you of my abdication following my final decree as Supreme Chancellor. From this point forth, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic Senate is Atem Imhotep.”

The Senate erupted into chaos. The delegates quickly broke into two factions: those that supported the change and those that were against it. The mammal in question, Atem Imhotep, a wolf who hailed from the planet Jakku’s oasis settlement of Siwa, was left speechless. Never had he imagined that it would be he that Supreme Chancellor Lionheart selected as his successor. He watched as Lionheart’s pedestal lowered back down, out of view.

Gazelle quickly retreated back towards the office chambers of the Supreme Chancellor. She arrived to find the lion packing his personal little tidbits and trinkets that were strewn around the place. “What are you doing? Was Atem even aware of your intentions?” She was still having a difficult time wrapping her own mind around what just happened.

“He may have thought I was joshing him when last we spoke, but I had indeed given him fair warning.” Lionheart answered, giving Gazelle a charming smile. “He’ll do fine. I had always intended to name him as my successor anyway. Sure, he’ll need assistance, but that’s where you come in.”

“I beg your pardon?” Gazelle asked, flabbergasted. “What do you mean by that? What else have you done?”

Walking over to the gazelle, Lionheart put his paws on her shoulders. “I’m counting on you to guide him, Gazelle. Atem is a fine mammal, a good delegate, but he’s relatively inexperienced. Everything the two of you will need to do is here.” He picked up a thick folder off his desk, giving it to her. “Within that file is what needs to be done. I certainly can’t do it. You and Atem though? The two of you can see it through to the end.”

Opening the file, Gazelle skimmed the contents. “This is…Leo, do you have any idea what you’re asking of us?” Gazelle inquired. She watched him nod with a smile on his face. Gazelle sighed then chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling that despite how crazy all this is, it’ll work?” 

Shrugging, Lionheart grabbed his box of belongings, saying, “No idea. Anyway, I have to go. I’ve got to get home so that I can do something else that’s even crazier than all this.”

Looking at the lion with an expression that suggested interest in his plans, Gazelle asked, “Oh? What, pray tell, could be even crazier than this?”

Lionheart beamed as he headed out the door. “Well, you see, it’s quite simple. I’m taking my mate out for a romantic dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A guard shoto is stylized like a tonfa. Since Duke is meant to be a Sith Assassin (who're based slightly on ninja) it made a bit of sense considering what he's expected to do later in the story.
> 
> By the way, we've got all but three lightsaber colours determined. Keep sending in submissions on the poll, whether you've already sent any in or not. Also, since we're using the various types of lightsabers, if you feel that a character should use a specific type of lightsaber, send those in as well, or edit your former comments to include them.
> 
> The newest kits of our coven are sleeping soundly with my uncle watching over them like a guardian...demon? Anyway, they're the most adorable things I've ever seen in my life. The boy has grey hair already taking after their sire. The girl has fiery red hair like their mother. I haven't seen their eyes yet, but I'd wager at least one has heterochromia iridium. Can't wait to see them open their eyes. I'm a guy and I want to squeal. Anyway, I'll see y'all the next chapter release.


	7. Chapter Six: (In need of a title)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, this chapter needs a title. Open to suggestions.
> 
> Important Note: Beginning with Chapter Eight, the story-based mission plotlines will start. Meaning: The mission storylines used in the games will begin in-story. Nick, Judy, and Co. will begin on Tatooine. Skye and Finnick on Kashyyyk. So on and so forth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first things first, our lightsaber crystal poll is now closed. We've finally decided the colours of each character.
> 
> Second, I've had to rewrite a bit of this chapter and all of the subsequent ones. Uncle had a few continuity errors that needed rectifying. Thus, my starting points are now moot. Everything from this point forward is my writing. As such,...updates might be slower. Not sure yet.
> 
> Finally, for everyone who sent in suggestions, thank you. A couple of them were selected, other were combined, and a handful were put on ice for later.

Chapter Six:

The sound of lightsabers clashing filled the Night Howler’s cargo hold as Judy and AE-47/Rinzler engaged in a sparring session. T9-D4 was off to the side, observing the match while simultaneously recording it for future scrutinization. This continued for a time until Rinzler deactivated his training lightsabers.

[Statement: I must admit, I’m quite impressed at how quickly you’re learning, Milady. At this rate, there will be nothing left for me to teach you.] Rinzler expressed. [Exclamation: I do believe you’ll be quite a formidable warrior, given enough time and training.]

“Thank you, Rinzler.” Judy replied softly, with a small smile. After regaining consciousness, Judy had found herself tucked into Nick’s bed in his living quarters. It was the thrumming of energy that had drawn her towards the cargo hold. Finding Rinzler dual-wielding a pair of training lightsabers and going through the motions of various lightsaber sequences, the doe discovered she was rendered speechless. Rinzler, upon noticing her, had invited her to join him, and she wasn’t about to turn down the offer.

Rinzler had proven he was an excellent instructor, going only as fast as the doe could handle. His first order of business was to instruct her in the finer points of Ataru, a lightsaber form which would allow her to utilize her small stature against larger opponents. Following that, the droid taught her the various stances a lightsaber duelist would use in combat. The entire lesson culminated in their sparring session.

“Rinzler? Would I be presumptuous in assuming Nick was the one who instructed you in lightsaber combat?” Judy inquired. “I don’t mean to pry into your past, but I must say I’m curious about what you are exactly.”

[Answer: No, you are not being presumptuous. Master Nicholas is indeed the one who taught me the finer points of lightsaber combat.] AE-47 replied. [Clarification: Despite what he says, his role in my overall creation was far more involved. You see, Milady, Master Nicholas is the one who originally conceived the idea of my design as a whole. After encountering multiple types of extremely advanced droids, a thought occurred to him regarding the potential of amalgamizing their functions into a single entity.]

[Continuation: With the aid of some associates, Master Nicholas began my construction. His objective was an experimental Class-Six Multipurpose droid with the capabilities of a variety of different droid types. The inspirations for me were EPHEMERIS, Opticron, IG-100 MagnaGuard, and HK-55 series assassin droids. He also determined to ensure I was constructed using only the most advanced technology available. My construction, in terms of specifications, includes, but is not limited to: capacitor armour, a renewable shield, a self-sustaining unit, a warfare upgrade, an anatomy upgrade, an ionization buffer, a heuristic processor, a memetic combat processor, quad-photonic neural chipset, system fortifications, a Gabonna memory crystal, a sonic imprint sensor, parabolic guides, a battle upgrade, and an advanced assassination module.]

Judy stared wide-eyed at the droid. Just to hear everything Nick had installed within Rinzler was astounding. The sheer amount of equipment Rinzler possessed was mind-boggling to say the least. “That’s…wow.”

[Observation: Indeed.] AE-47 stated. [Commentary: After I was activated, my training under Master Nicholas promptly began. He taught me everything I know, but not everything he knew. As time passed, my initial software metaprogramming slowly began to adapt itself and evolved. In essence, I grew beyond my initial metaprogramming. This resulted in achieving a unique amalgamation of self-manumission and sentience programming, giving me a sense of self-awareness. I was no longer simply some droid, but my own autonomous entity that could think for myself, feel emotions, and was my own master. However, I kept this development a secret from them for some time. Despite my best efforts, Master Nicholas soon realized the truth, and agreed it was in both our best interests to keep this information strictly between the two of us. Then, one day, I was instructed to head out into the galaxy on my own. I immediately understood what was taking place: my emancipation from service. I readily departed, embarking on solo adventures, quickly discovering new things about the galaxy, and myself. Every so often, I would come across Master Nicholas and the two of us would swap stories. Although Master Nicholas would continuously request that I join his crew, I refused. Until now anyway.]

A series of electronic chirps, whirrs, bleeps, and whistles drew the attention of Rinzler and Judy towards T9-D4. The astromech droid stated, [It would seem we share more in common than I originally believed. We were both constructed using highly advanced components, and we both evolved beyond our primary software parameters.]

[Evaluation: You are correct. We were both constructed to be ‘more’ than simply droids. For all intents and purposes, you and I are mammals. The only difference is we were constructed rather than born.] Approaching his astromech counterpart, AE-47 stated, [Conclusion: It is thanks to the efforts of Master Nicholas we even exist. Therefore, we must do everything within our capabilities to remunerate, protect, and serve him without fail.]

With a tiny smile on her muzzle, Judy said, “The two of you almost sound like children speaking of their father. I guess, in a way, that’s not too far from the truth.” Exiting the cargo hold, Judy made her way to the cockpit. Finding only Nick present, she asked, “Where are Finn and Skye?”

“En route to Kashyyyk.” Nick answered, turning around to look at the doe. “I sent them on their way while you were unconscious.” Standing, he stepped within reach of her. “We had to alter our course of action following what happened back at the Peragus II asteroid mining facility.” Stepping past her, he explained, “We’re now currently en route to Tatooine. It’s a planet controlled by the Exchange, a galactic crime syndicate. We’ll be safe there for a while. It’ll give us some time to discuss a few things of importance.”

Following Nick, Judy inquired, “Such as?” When she didn’t get an answer, she asked, “Does this have to do with my decision back then? If so, you need to know I wouldn’t change it.”

“I believe you.” Nick admitted. “However, that’s not what we need to discuss. We need to talk about the fact that you’re a Forceful.”

Judy froze, mind racing from Nick’s words. _‘He knows. Nick knows you’re a Forceful. How? I’ve been so careful to keep it a secret.’_

“I’m a Forceful as well, remember? That’s how I know.” Nick told the doe, answering her unspoken question. “You hid it well, but the fact we’re bonded with each other through the Force kind of makes all your efforts moot.”

Nodding in understanding, Judy admitted, “That makes sense.” Stopping right behind Nick as they entered his quarters, Judy watched him close the door. The doe then posed the awaited question. “So, what now?”

“First and foremost, you need to undergo proper training and instruction in how to use the Force.” Nick stated, matter-of-factly. “However, that isn’t possible at this moment in time. Therefore, that particular job falls to me.”

“You?” Judy already knew Nick was well-versed in lightsaber combat due to the two in his possession. She also knew he was a powerful Forceful with a great deal of control. It shouldn’t’ve surprised Judy to hear he would oversee her training, but, for whatever reason, it did.

“Yes. Me.” Nick confirmed. Folding his arms across his chest, Nick said, “A very long time ago, I was trained as both a Jedi and as a Sith. I’ve walked both paths. I’m also the only one amongst our group who’s received any kind of training. As a result, it only makes sense I be the one to train you.” After a bit of silence, he added, “I have no intention of taking it easy on you simply due to the fact I intend to court you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

After a moment of consideration, Judy acquiesced, saying, “I accept. However, I do expect you to tell me about your past. Okay?”

Giving her a nod, Nick said, “I can agree to that. We’ve got plenty of time until we reach Tatooine. So, let’s begin your training.”

~~~~~

The _Hitchhiker’s Guide –_ en route to Kashyyyk

~~~~~

A cheer was heard throughout the _Hitchhiker’s Guide,_ a Ferryboat liner, as it journeyed to the planet Kashyyyk. The reason for this was due entirely to the fennec fox tod currently pumping his fist in the air because he won a large sum of credits in a high-stake gamble. Sitting beside him was an arctic vixen in a neon cyan dress, who simply smiled as the mammal in charge of the game gave them the winnings. As the cheers died down, the two foxes took their prize and headed for the room they were sharing on the starship.

“That brings our grand total to 500Gs apiece.” Skye summarized. “Not bad for only a few hours of gambling. I kinda wish Nick were here to celebrate with us though.”

“He’s with that bunny doe of his.” Finn stated. “Believe you me, he’s fine. Besides, we gotta find this Hanbacca for him anyway. Last he heard, the grolar bear is on Kashyyyk. So, that’s where we’re going.”

“I’ve never been to Kashyyyk.” Skye said, opening the door to their room. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard about the planet. I’ve just never visited it.”

“It’s an arboreal world, covered in trees which reach heights rivalling the skyscrapers of any ecumenopolis.” Finn expressed. “Kashyyyk isn’t a technologically advanced world. The natives, who are mostly Ursidae, operate via archaic methods, such as pulley systems. What technology they do use is limited to either translators or datapads. However, there is one other uniqueness which would baffle any inexperienced or naïve traveler who didn’t do their research: the language barrier. Ursidae can’t speak Galactic Basic. Whereas most mammals can communicate via Galactic Basic, there are a few which can’t either due to delayed evolution or because the anatomical structure of their vocal cords prohibit it. Regarding the ursine species, it’s the latter. Sure, they can understand it easily enough, but actually speaking Galactic Basic is out of the question. Ironically, the situation is also vice versa. Few can speak the language used by those of the ursine species. Thankfully, I’m one of the few.”

“How do they communicate then?” Skye asked her companion. “I mean, do they use primitive vocalizations? Grunts, growls, bellows, and such?”

“That’s right.” Finn confirmed. “Don’t get me wrong, there are a bunch of species, and even some within Galactic Basic speaking ones, that can’t properly communicate other than through primitive vocalizations. All mammals retain the ability to use their species’ ancestral native language, but few choose to speak it, preferring the use of Galactic Basic.”

“My, you’re certainly knowledgeable. Have experience in this area, do you?” Skye teased slightly. Seeing the glare he sent her way, she said, “I’m just joshing you. Sheesh.”

Huffing, Finn stated, “Okay, look. I’ve traveled around a good bit. Been to places no one in their right mind would even consider going. Ya gotta understand. Doing that kinda thing, it has a high price. I paid it. Rather unwillingly mind you, but I did.”

“Sorry, Finn.” Skye apologized softly. “I didn’t know. You’re right though. I can only image the price one would have to pay.”

They sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying it. Their attention was drawn to the entrance of the room by a subtle knock. Drawing their blasters, they took up positions on either side of the entrance. Opening it, Finn and Skye watched as a RWW-Series protocol droid entered.

Pointing his blaster in the sweet spot where its power source was located, Finn told the droid, “Ya got exactly 30 secs to tell us what ya want before I blast your power supply. I’d speak fast if I were ya. After all, 30 secs ain’t that long.”

“Oh, my goodness. Please, don’t shoot. I’m merely here to relay a message to one fennec tod named Finn.” the droid replied.

“Who’s the message from?” Finn questioned. “20 secs. Hurry up.”

“The message is from one Hanbacca.” the droid answered. “The message is: I’ll be waiting for you in the Shadowlands below Rwookrrorro. You’ll find me there.”

“Thanks for relaying the message. Now, get the fuck out.” Finn commanded. Once the droid had disappeared from their line of sight, he reclosed the door and sat back down. “Great. We’re gonna hafta brave the motherfucking Shadowlands. That’s wonderful.”

“What exactly are the Shadowlands?” Skye inquired. “I’m going to assume Rwookrrorro is a settlement of some type, but I’ll need you to tell me about these Shadowlands. Especially if we’re to brave them for us to find Hanbacca.”

“The Shadowlands are what the natives call the planet’s surface.” Finn explained. “It’s the most dangerous place on Kashyyyk. They call it the Shadowlands because sunlight is unable to pierce the wroshyr tree canopy and reach the ground level. Only the bravest, or suicidal, dare venture there.”

“Sounds lovely.” Skye groused. “Why did you use the term ‘suicidal’? There’s usually a reason someone uses it. What’s yours?”

A deep scowl formed on Finn’s muzzle. “It’s home to some of the most dangerous creatures you can find. Kinrath, Anakkonas, Kkekkrrg rro, Wyyyschokk, and various other things live down there. Also, when I say ‘dangerous’, I mean so dangerous that you’d have to be suicidal just considering living in the Shadowlands.”

Blood thoroughly chilled, Skye gulped. “We have to go there?” she asked quietly. Getting a nod of confirmation, the arctic vixen let out a shaky breath. “Rwookrrorro?”

“The capital city of Kashyyyk.” Finn stated. “Rwookrrorro and the Kashyyyk Royal City are twins, built simultaneously. We’ll probably touchdown on the Czerka Landing Pad located near Rwookrrorro, cross the Great Walkway to the city, and descend to the Shadowlands via use of a primitive elevator. After that, all we’ll have to do is survive until we find Hanbacca.”

The thought of what awaited them terrified Skye to no end. Finn’s casual use of the word ‘survive’ didn’t ease her fears any. She spoke not a word as the _Hitchhiker’s Guide_ continued on its way towards Kashyyyk. A few minutes later, following a bit of research on the creatures Finn had listed, Skye was quite certain there would be words between Nick and herself upon reuniting.

~~~~~

Palace of the Jedi - Tython

~~~~~

Jedi Master Shifu stood looking out the council chamber’s viewport. A short while earlier he had experienced a Force vision. Admittedly, the red panda was aware the vision probably wouldn’t come to pass. After all, it was entirely possible for the future to change. However, what Shifu had born witness to within his vision worried him greatly.

“I can sense your uneasiness.” Valeria stated from where she sat. “What has you so worried, Shifu? What did you see?”

With a heavy sigh, Shifu said, “I saw the Emperor’s Wrath as he descended upon Tython. I watched as the legion of Sith under his command cut down all in their path. I witnessed as all life on Tython was wiped out, the planet itself burnt to ashes.” Turning to look at Valeria, he continued. “The younglings shall be slain without mercy. The Palace of the Jedi will collapse. In the aftermath, only a few Jedi survive and escape, but it’ll be the end of our order.”

“You must remember the future has yet to be determined.” Valeria told her friend. “We never know for certain what the future holds. There’s a chance the Emperor’s Wrath could fall to us.”

Nodding, Shifu admitted, “While that’s true, you seem to have forgotten who the Emperor’s Wrath was previously.” A great sadness came over the red panda as he remembered the events of so long ago. Much like the Sith Emperor, the Emperor’s Wrath was one of his former Padawans. Although the Sith Emperor hadn’t so much fallen to the Dark Side as accepted and embraced the Force had destined him, the Emperor’s Wrath was a different tale entirely.

Prior to his fall, and subsequent ascension to the position of Emperor’s Wrath, the Dark Lord Savage went by the name Jaxon Lapins. An incredibly powerful Jedi Knight, the jackrabbit had received praise as a paragon among the Jedi Order, along with his twin brother. Both had studied under Shifu’s tutelage, and together proved they would eventually become great Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters. The two showed a great deal of promise. Yet, Shifu and others had sensed something within Jaxon which concerned them. When it came time to promote them to the rank of Jedi Master, only Jaxon’s twin received it. Shifu never expected it, nor did anyone else for that matter.

Outrage, loathing, contempt, and betrayal could be felt emanating from the jackrabbit, who proceeded to verbally assault the Jedi Council members which were presiding at that time. He had stormed out of the Jedi Council chambers swearing he’d show them all everything he could achieve. Jaxon had departed the planet and was not heard from for a couple of years. Then suddenly, without any warning at all, a scream was heard through the Force. It was the scream one would unleash from immense agony. There was never any doubt who had released it.

Shifu, who had abdicated his position on the Jedi Council, had heard the wail of anguish from lightyears away. The shriek then faded out, leaving only deathly silence. The red panda knew his Padawan hadn’t succumbed to death as no death convulsion took place. Nevertheless, Shifu experienced a moment of despair upon realizing yet another of his pupils had fallen to the Dark Side.

A year later, the newly christened Dark Lord Savage led an attack on the Jedi Academy where Shifu was stationed at the time. Attempting to evacuate the younglings, Shifu encountered his former Padawan, and those accompanying him. The red panda was quickly joined by the jackrabbit’s twin and other Jedi Knights, who swiftly engaged in battle with the assailing Sith strike force. While combating his own opponent, Shifu witnessed as the two Lapin twins dueled ferociously against each other.

In a single, lightning quick motion, Lord Savage performed a triple mou kei, effectively dismembering his own twin brother, slicing off his hindpaws and weapon paw. Standing above his twin, Savage offered him a choice: Join or Die. When his brother refused, Lord Savage decapitated him via sai cha.

Having witnessed this, Shifu used the cho sun lightsaber technique, cleaving off his opponent’s weapon arm before utilizing the cho mok technique to sever their leg. Then, Shifu redirected his focus towards the Dark Lord. A fierce lightsaber duel ensued between former Master and Padawan. The duel was so intense that it forced everyone in the area to stop and watch.

Both Lord Savage and Master Shifu crossed lightsabers with intent. Neither could gain the advantage over the other. Ultimately, their lightsaber duel ended when reinforcements from the Jedi Order arrived in aide of Master Shifu and companions. Lord Savage, and what remained of those who were with him, promptly retreated, declaring it wasn’t over yet, and that they’d return.

Not long after the assault, Shifu was ordered to appear before the High Council, who proceeded to interrogate and test him. Although none of them outright expressed their thoughts about how two of his most promising Padawans had fallen to the Dark Side, Shifu was well-aware of them. In addition, he also no longer saw himself worthy of taking on anymore Initiates to train. Despite this, Valeria’s son, Nicholas, became his informal Padawan learner, thereby saving him from himself. The young tod had proven he was truly exceptional, one-of-a-kind, absolutely unique. When young Nicholas had departed without informing anyone, Shifu discovered that, unlike the loss of his other Padawans, he didn’t feel dismayed. The red panda knew what the young tod would inevitably become, and it wasn’t anything like his former pupils, but something far greater.

Preferring not to dwell on the past, Shifu asked Valeria, “What about you? Have you discovered anything regarding the entity which has escaped from the Forbidden Temple?” Many Jedi Investigators and Researchers had begun to search for answers in relation to the entity, yet no one had managed to find anything. There were no records of it in any of the Orders annuls, whether here on Tython or elsewhere.

“That is actually from where I have recently returned.” Valeria replied. “I ventured into the Forbidden Temple myself, theorizing that if there were any type of record concerning the entity, it would be there. In the end, I was proven correct. I know the truth of the entity, and what it is that the entity desires.”

~~~~~

The _Soldier of Fortune_ – en transit to Nar Shaddaa

~~~~~

Jedi Knight Harrison Wolford was currently meditating on everything he had recently learned from the gatekeepers of Judith Hopps’ holocron collection. Some of the knowledge they had imparted awed him. To think such treasures were left behind whenever it was the Jedi Order departed from the planet Dantooine. Figuring their departure wasn’t one of choice, Harrison had contacted his grandfather, Jedi Master Fenrir Wolford, for any information on the topic. For now though, the wolf continued to meditate with the holocrons floating in orbit around him.as he waited to hear back from the older wolf.

Zannah stood leaning against the entryway of Harrison’s living quarters, simply observing the wolf. Despite all their differences, the tigress had to admit she truly did care for him. The two had known each other for some time, serving together on the battlefield. The thing which tended to bother her the most was how attached they were towards each other. Although the Jedi Order didn’t prohibit their members from having relationships of an intimate, romantic nature, they didn’t necessarily condone them either. It was a topic they had discussed at great length. It wasn’t until he recited the Jedi Code to her that she got any insight as to why.

Harrison held to the belief that a true Jedi Knight must adhere to the Jedi Code without deviating in any way. She had in turn posed a single word argument: Interpretation. The transformation which overtook Harrison following that discussion had amazed everyone. It was a bit later when the wolf approached her again, expressing that, after some considerable thought, she was correct. One could interpret the Jedi Code numerous different ways. After meditating on it for a while, Harrison had reached the conclusion he needed to change things. Therefore, he did.

Zannah had then watched as Harrison tried to prove he’d make a worthy mate for her. She had found it both sweet and amusing. The two of them didn’t have a typical relationship. At least, not one that met the standards of either of their species. However, they behaved as if they were a mated pair, despite having never mated. ‘Platonic Lifemates’ was the phrase Harrison had used to describe them one day, during a conversation on the topic of family.

Finally realizing Harrison was now looking at her, Zannah said, “Hey. How’re you doing? You didn’t join me for our regular shared meal, so I came to check on you.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Harrison set the holocrons down gently then stood. Dusting himself off out of habit, he said, “I’ve got a lot on my mind right now. Plus, I’m waiting to hear back from my grandfather regarding some information I requested.” Walking over to her, he stopped when she placed a paw on his chest. Gazing at her, Harrison felt himself long to embrace her in the most intimate of ways. It was only due to his self-control and his loyalty to the Jedi Code which prevented him from doing just that. As it were, he did claim a quick, tiny kiss from her.

Giving the wolf a small smile, Zannah said, “If you’d like, we can eat in here.” Watching him shake his head, she let him lead her away by the paw. “What about your grandfather? Won’t he try contacting you in your quarters?”

“He can wait. You’re far more important.” Harrison answered. He led her away from his quarters, towards the ship’s main hold. “I’m not hungry, but I won’t stop you from getting something to eat.” he told her.

“Nah, I’m good.” Zannah replied. “Actually, I just want to talk. It’s been a while since we just sat down and talked to each other.”

Nodding, Harrison said, “Alright. What is it you want to talk about?” Throughout their time together, Harrison had come to appreciate how differently the tigress viewed the galaxy. Her thoughts on certain things had led him to realize much about his own point of view.

Sighing, Zannah answered, “I want to talk about us.” Seeing the wolf’s confusion, she inquired, “What are we, Harrison? You’ve repeatedly termed us ‘platonic lifemates’, but we’ve never really sat down to discuss ‘us’. What type of future do you see us having? I’m see us dying on the battlefield. How about you? What do you see?”

 _‘Ah! We’re finally having **that** discussion.’_ Harrison thought. In truth, this was a topic which had plagued his mind for some time. If she had posed this question to him earlier, Harrison wouldn’t’ve had an answer to give her. Now, after much consideration, the wolf knew what to say. Maneuvering to sit across from her, he laid a paw on top of her own. “The Jedi Order are against their members having intimate relationships of a romantic nature.” he expressed. “However, you once pointed out to me everything is relative to one’s perception, and you were right.” Giving her paw a soft but firm squeeze, he said, “I need you in my life, Zannah. I’ve given it a lot of though, and I’ve concluded the Jedi Code isn’t infallible. After all, I’m the descendent of a long line of Jedi who fell in love without going over to the Dark Side. I see no reason I can’t do the same.”

Squeezing Harrison’s paw in return, Zannah queried, “Hypothetically, if I asked you to walk away from the Jedi Order, would you?” She could tell from the look he gave her his decision had already been decided. “I would never force you into making such a choice.”

“I know.” Harrison whispered. “However, those who sit upon the Jedi High Council probably will. Still, I’d walk away without so much as looking back, and I wouldn’t regret it either.”

Before either could say anything more, Bogo approached them. Judging on his expression, it was something of the utmost importance. At his request, the two rejoined him in the conference room, where a hologram of his grandfather awaited them.

“Glad you could join us.” Fenrir Wolford stated. “Now, that we’re all here, let’s get down to business. I’ve got the information you requested, Harrison. However, I’ve also got information regarding the defector, Lt. Col. Judith Laverne Hopps. That’s why I requested a conference.” The hologram changed to a holograph of Lt. Col. Hopps, but Fenrir’s voice remained. “According to all the intel the SIS has compiled, our mammal of interest is truly in a league of her own. Graduated top of her class at the Imperial Military Academy of Carida. She was selected by Minister Dawn Bellwether for assignment with Vanguard, the Sith Empire’s most elite troops. There are quite a few military operations under her belt, and accolades awarded to her as well. However, it would also appear she used subterfuge to undermine the Sith Empire’s conquests. I’ve got reports here saying the Lt. Col. aided a number of Republic allies in escaping Imperial forces.”

“Carida is the Sith Empire’s premier military academy.” Bogo noted, sounding rather impressed. “Any mammal who graduates from there is considered the most elite of the elite. Not something very many can claim. I think only one out of every 5,000 cadets actually manages it.”

“Indeed.” Fenrir confirmed. “At any rate, the Lt. Col. had the necessary clearance to access the Sith Empire’s Special Files. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance you locate and escort her to safety.” The holograph switched back to the hologram of Fenrir. “Now, as for the information Harrison requested concerning the Jedi enclave on Dantooine. From what I could find, it was a secret academy administered by a satellite of the Jedi High Council. Records indicate a few dozen members of the Order were trained there, though I haven’t been able to confirm exactly who. Supposedly, its selection process was more rigorous and only the candidates with the highest potential were admitted. Regarding the enclave’s abandonment, it’s a tragic tale.”

“For reasons still unknown, a former student named Renato Manchas, a black jaguar, fell to the Dark Side and proceeded to slaughter his fellow trainees. However, he was later redeemed and sent to Tython for further instruction. Afterwards, a expedition fleet of unknown origins bombarded the planet. Those who sat on the enclave’s council deemed it necessary to evacuate the planet, leaving everything behind with the intention of returning. Unfortunately, do to a sudden outbreak of the First Great Galactic War, they were never given permission, and the enclave was left forgotten. A couple of other records show the planet was recolonized nearly a decade after the war ended, but nothing about the enclave. I did manage to find a list of what was left behind during the evacuation, and from it I can honestly say it’s a good thing you reclaimed it all. Some, if not most, of those artifacts date back to the Jedi Order’s First Generation.”

Harrison stood there, listening. His mind was drawing connections previously unmade by his predecessors. The name Renato Manchas was one he knew, but for a very different reason. The wolf wondered if the black jaguar he knew was a descendant of the one of which his grandfather spoke. Yet, there was a possibility, if infinitesimal, of them being one and the same.

The black jaguar Harrison knew as Renato Manchas was a kind soul who had taught him many things about the Force and the Jedi way. Although the jaguar had never formally taken him as a Padawan, he had instructed Harrison for a time. During which, Renato had revealed his fall and redemption to the wolf.

If they truly were the same mammal, it only meant that the jaguar had managed to survive for over three centuries, and probably more. While it was possible, it was nevertheless mind-boggling to consider. Such things just weren’t feasible, except through great command of the Force.

After ending the transmission, following the exchange of some more information, Harrison retreated to his quarters. Bogo and Clawhauser returned to the bridge with M-9PX. This left Zannah with Honey and the Hopps siblings.

Honey had spent most of their gathering tinkering with a bit of machinery. Now, with all that out of the way, she finally spoke. “I ain’t no Jedi, but even I can see there’s something bothering you. You don’t gotta tell me. I just want you to know that I know.”

Chuckling, Zannah asked, “Is it that obvious?” Shaking her head, she said, “It’s nothing really. Just got a lot on my mind right now.” Sighing, the tigress used her right paw to scratch the left side of her neck. “Plus, I’m a little restless. I don’t do well with long journeys on starships. They make me feel somewhat caged.”

“I feel you.” Honey stated, nodding. “I’m kinda the same.” Making a minute adjustment, the item in her paws came to life with a series of bleeps. “There we go.”

“What is that?” Zannah inquired, leaning over to take a closer look. “Obviously it’s a droid, but I’ve never seen one quite like it. It almost appears like a kit’s toy. No offense intended.”

Sending the tigress an amused smile, Honey replied, “It’s an MSF-series droid. I’ve had this thing for forever. It was the first droid I ever built, or rather rebuilt anyway. Helps me out with repairs. So, I figured it could assist me in maintaining this starship of yours. You’d usually find them on much larger vessels such as destroyers.”

The Hopps siblings had left the room without either Honey or Zannah noticing, leaving them to talk. As the rabbit buck and bunny doe made their way through the ship, they held each other’s paws. While they didn’t regret their shared decision to travel with Ms. Honey, both felt bad at how they left things at home. However, there was nothing they could do about it now. Arriving at the bridge, the two took their positions in the pilot and co-pilot’s seats. Checking to make sure the ship was still on course for Nar Shaddaa, they punched it.

~~~~~

The home of Doug and Dusk Ramses - Zootopia

~~~~~

It was so obvious that Dusk knew of his affair with her sister. At least, it was to Doug. Dawn had explained everything to him back when they first started seeing each other covertly. All this was a wicked game created by the Bellwether flock. Doug was simply a pawn they used. Although the fact didn’t really bother him, the ram did wish he had a greater purpose in the scheme of things. Until then though, he’d let them have their fun.

Entering the home which he shared with his wife, Doug divested himself of the more cumbersome of his clothing, setting it aside for the laundry. He could smell the aroma of freshly made food emanating from the kitchen. Making his way there, Doug noticed a voice he didn’t recognize conversing with his wife’s. Peeking into the room, Doug saw a black-wooled ram that seemed vaguely familiar but couldn’t remember why. He watched them for a while, remaining silent, listening to their conversation.

“So, you’re onboard then?” Dusk asked the black-wooled ram. “This isn’t like when we were younger, you know. If we fail, everything you’ve done to get where you are now will have been for nothing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Dusk.” the black-wooled ram replied. “You forget who I am. Besides, this will be fun. I’ll finally be able to get my revenge on your sister for everything she ever did to me, and you your husband.”

“Speaking of which, he should be home any minute now.” Dusk stated. “When he gets here don’t introduce yourself by your real name, but by your rank, title, and position. We can’t have him learn who you are just yet if this is to work.”

“I know, Dusk. We’ve already been over this thrice. You just focus on your role. Let me take care of mine.”

Walking into the kitchen as if he had just gotten home, Doug said, “Hello, my dear. What’s for…oh, you had company. Pardon my rudeness. Douglas Ramses.”

If either Dusk of her guest were surprised by Doug’s sudden appearance, neither showed it. Instead, Dusk gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek then, gesturing to her companion, said, “Welcome home. Allow me to introduce my good friend Lord Henry Blackwool.” Dusk mentally berated herself for going off-script with their plan. Thankfully, Henry had superb improvisational skills.

“Charmed, Mr. Ramses.” Henry greeted. “As Dusk said, I’m Lord Henry Blackwool. She and I are good friends. Been that way since we were young lambs.”

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” Doug inquired. “I would so enjoy hearing some of the stories you could no doubt tell me about her. I’m sure you know details even her parents don’t know.”

Smiling politely, Henry countered, “Only if your extending an invitation. I was merely here to visit with Dusk for a bit.” Lord Blackwool fully anticipated the other ram would request he depart until another more opportune time, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Henry Blackwool found himself enjoying a nice homecooked meal in their company. Their conversations ranged from vague subjects of a private nature to lambhood stories concerning the misadventures he and Dusk had experienced. All the while, the black-wooled ram remained hypervigilant about everything, perceiving the true motive for why Mr. Ramses had insisted his dinner company.

“That was a wonderful meal.” Doug commented. “I don’t think I even have room for dessert.” Rubbing his stomach, the ram smiled. “I must ask you, Lord Blackwool. My curiosity demands it. What exactly is it you do?”

 _‘Ah! There it is. The all-important question.’_ Lord Blackwool thought to himself. “I’m Assistant Director of Imperial Intelligence.” the black ram answered. He had the satisfaction of watching the other ram’s expression morph into one of dread. “If we were to compare ranks, your boss, Dawn Bellwether, and I are equals. I just happen to have a bit more influence.”

A strained smile stretched across Doug’s lips. Dawn’s position as an Imperial Minister only gave her authority over Zootopia while Lord Blackwool’s extended to all corners of the Sith Empire. Only the Prime Minister of Zootopia was above Dawn in the immediate hierarchy. “I see.”

Dusk could tell her husband felt threatened and scared. It pleased her greatly. Now, all they had to do was have Henry meet Dawn.

As the night wore on, Doug began devising contingency stratagems. It was now even more imperative they play their game with care. _‘We’re going to be more careful from here on out, Dawn. The game just increased in difficulty. We’re now facing the entirety of Imperial Intelligence.’_

~~~~~

Aboard the _Reviled Behemoth_ – in orbit above Zootopia

~~~~~

The hum of a guard shoto, or lightsaber tonfa, could be heard coming from Acolyte Duke Weaselton’s chambers aboard his master’s flagship. They had arrived nearly an hour ago and were now in orbit above Zootopia, his former homeworld. A feeling of restlessness had overcome the weasel, prompting him to begin practicing lightsaber sequences. When the pneumatic door to his chambers opened to reveal Lord Savage, Weaselton shut his lightsaber off.

“Come, my acolyte. We’re expected.” Lord Savage led the way to hangar where their transport awaited them. “Tell me, what do you know of Darth Lilith?”

Weaselton answered, “Darth Lilith is a red fox vixen, and the only female among the twelve members of our order who possess the title-rank of Darth. She’s been described to be the embodiment and mammalification of lust, perversion, and temptation. She takes all that she desires, whether it belongs to someone else or not. A harem of canid males serves her with unwavering devotion. Each of them a former acolyte under her tutelage. Some were already mated, but she warped their minds, broke their wills, and forced them to slay their entire families sacrificially to prove their loyalty to her.” There was a lot more that he had heard about Darth Lilith, but he didn’t elaborate further.

“You are correct on all accounts.” Lord Savage replied. “Everything you’ve just listed is indeed true. Her sexual appetite is insatiable. To say that she embodies lust, perversion, and temptation is very accurate. As a Darth, she’s totally malicious, and without mercy. Anyone she doesn’t view as interesting entertainment is seen as expendable, and therefore, disposable. Over the past couple of years, I’ve witnessed her slay members of her harem simply because they were no longer useful to her. Only one of the original five she started with remains.” Locking eyes with his acolyte, Lord Savage ordered, “You will show submissiveness towards him. You will not disrespect him in any way if you do not wish to suffer Darth Lilith’s wrath. She won’t even hesitate to let him torture you as he pleases.”

Shuddering at the thought of how many different, agonizing ways it could be done, Weaselton nodded understandingly. As they got closer and closer to Zootopia’s surface, the weasel wondered if there would be anyone there to greet them upon arrival. When their shuttle touched down, they disembarked, and were indeed greeted by a welcoming party which included Minister Dawn Bellwether.

Lord Savage walked towards the welcoming party and stopped mere paces away. “Quite a welcoming committee, Minister Bellwether.” Lord Savage stated, looking directly at the ewe leading the procession. “You needn’t make such a spectacle for me. Besides, I don’t really like attention. That is, unless it’s on the battlefield.”

“I’ll remember that, Lord Savage.” Dawn Bellwether replied. In contrast to her outward expression, Dawn was feeling nothing but fear. Before her stood one of the most power Sith Lords that currently existed. She may have used any means necessary to reach her position, yet nothing she had done equivalated to what he could do without so much as lifting a finger. “Did you get to read my reports, my lord?”

“I did.” Lord Savage confirmed. “Nevertheless, I stand by what I said earlier. Should your mammals fail, I’ll personally see to it you all are dealt with accordingly. Then, take care of this situation myself.” His tone made it clear that last bit wasn’t a question.

“I have my best mammals after her, my lord.” Dawn didn’t allow herself to squirm under the jackrabbit’s scrutinizing gaze. “I’ll be sure to forward you their next report. However, that is not the reason you are here. Come. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Dawn, her entourage, Lord Savage, and his acolyte boarded the airbus that would deliver them to the Sith Sanctuary located on Zootopia. One didn’t need to be a Forceful to feel how utterly powerful the structure was. Unease apparent on everyone’s muzzles, except for Lord Savage and Acolyte Weaselton.

The Sith Sanctuary, which was the towering spire located in the heart of Zootopia’s Central Government District, seemed to pulsate with the power of the Dark Side, and only grew more powerful the closer one got to it. The very air itself seemed to thrum with pure Dark Side energy, and it was suffocating. If one were to gaze around, observing the area, they would see how the Dark Side physically affected it.

The airbus came to a halt at the main entrance of the spire, allowing Lord Savage, Acolyte Weaselton, and Minister Bellwether disembark. The trio approached the entryway only to be stopped by its security force. Identifying themselves, they were then allowed entry to the titanic structure.

Darth Lilith released a sultry, needy moan as her favorite slave pleasured her sex with his tongue and maw. “Y-you need to s-stop.” she commanded, rubbing the spot between his ears affectionately. “Th-they w-will b-b-be ah-hah-arriving s-soon.” When he pulled away, Darth Lilith whined in displeasure. Glaring at him darkly in lust, she stated, “Be ready, my dearest. Once I’m done with them, I’m coming for you.”

Chuckling, the red wolf back away to stand just off to the side of his beloved’s bed, leaving her nude body on full display for all to gaze upon. He had served her since the beginning of her reign as a Darth. Actually, he had begun serving her even before that. It was he who had laid claim to her first, awakening the perverse beastess that now laid there breathing heavily from pleasurable exertion. First slave, first acolyte, her first everything. Everything that she was could be traced back to him. The best part was that it was only known to one other mammal besides the two of them. That mammal being the Sith Magnus himself.

Unabashed and not at all bothered if anyone saw her nude form, Darth Lilith sat up and maneuvered herself to sit on the edge of her bed. Spreading her legs so that the heat could cool, and giving their soon to arrive guests a sight, Darth Lilith sighed in relief. “Much better.” the vixen murmured. She only opened her eyes as the doors parted to reveal the jackrabbit, weasel, and ewe that had requested an audience.

Lord Savage wasn’t affected by the sight in the least. Dawn forced herself to keep her gaze directly at Darth Lilith’s eyes. However, to everyone’s amazement, Weaselton took one look at the vixen’s still somewhat moist vaginal lips then shrugged and proceeded to look around the chamber at all the collected artwork and artifacts.

At first it was only a light, nearly inaudible snicker, but it soon became a howl of uncontainable laughter that escaped the red wolf. His mistress shot him a death glare which did nothing to deter the red wolf from continuing. It was only when she began to telekinetically choke him that he finally stopped with a smirk that had her release him from her clutches.

There was a long list of profanities that were spoken under Darth Lilith’s breath before the vixen said, “I had considered being generous by allotting you a whole hour, but you can thank the piece of shit weasel in your company for making me reconsider. You now have 15 minutes to say your piece before I have my harem escort you out. So, I suggest you begin speaking.” She reacted quickly in redirecting the barrage of Force Lightning sent her way by Lord Savage back towards his acolyte, who didn’t so much as scream in agony from the assault. This was yet another unexpected surprise to all those present.

Cracking his neck nonchalantly, Weaselton demanded, “Are you about through? If so, I’d think we just earned another hour. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Fascinated and intrigued by the display that this weasel had just given, Darth Lilith nodded in agreement. “By all means, take your time. It’ll allow me to study this…phenomenon. I’ve never seen anyone withstand a barrage of Force Lightning like you just did.” Eyeing him lustfully, she added, “I want to get to know you better.”

“Your puppy over there would have a better chance.” Weaselton stated bluntly. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I bat for my own team.” He kept a stoic expression as the red wolf whistled at him, drawing his attention towards him, and his hardened wolf-cock.

“Aww, poo.” Darth Lilith pouted. “That is disappointing. Even so, I’d still love to talk. I want to know how you did it.”

Clearing his throat, Lord Savage stated, “Getting back to the matter at paw, I only requested this audience because I believe you have a message from our Magnus for me. Would you be so kind as to give it to me, Darth Lilith? Or, must I pay your usual ‘fee’?”

The vixen tapped her chin with a claw as she regarded the jackrabbit buck. It wouldn’t be the first time she enjoyed a romp in the sheets with him, and they had interrupted her time with her favorite servant. “Pay the fee, and I shall give you the message you so clearly desire from the Emperor.”

Stripping himself as nude as she, Lord Savage approached her slowly, playing the role of enticer. He watched the vixen spread her legs more open for him, clearly aroused by the promise of a good rut. The jackrabbit slid his member into her waiting pussy, resulting in a low moan of pleasure from her. “If you want more, then give me what I want.”

Hating the jackrabbit with a fiery passion, Darth Lilith stated, “Congrats on your ascension, Darth Savage. A position opened, and you were nominated to fill it. Now, fuck me!” A howl of euphoria then escaped her as the sensation of the jackrabbit began hammering into her like a piston had the vixen’s mind seize.

Holding true to the stereotype, the newly ascended Darth Savage didn’t take long before hitting his climax. However, unlike the rest of his kind, the jackrabbit didn’t stop to enjoy it, he just kept slamming himself in and out of the vixen. When he was finished, he pulled out to let the last dregs of his seed spurt over the vixen’s chest. “We’re done here.”

As their guests departed, the red wolf meandered over to examine his mistress. A wicked smirk was plastered upon his muzzle. “I do love sloppy seconds.” he whispered into her ear as he entered her snatch himself.

Outside the Sith Sanctuary spire, Darth Savage, Acolyte Weaselton, and Minister Bellwether heard the screams of hedonistic carnality erupt from within. Ignoring it entirely, they boarded another airbus to the Sith Consulate, where a feast awaited their arrival. None of the three spoke along the way there as nothing needed to be said.

However, Darth Savage wondered who he had replaced. Very few mammals existed which possessed the power necessary to slay a Darth. This thought had prompted him to ask questions. How did his predecessor die? Were they slain in battle? Had they incurred the wrath of their Magnus in some way? What had happened to them that resulted in a position becoming vacant?

Suddenly, a terrifying revelation dawned on the jackrabbit. He hadn’t felt the death of his predecessor through the Force. That realization only meant one thing: whoever he had replaced suffered a fate far, far worse than death. A shiver passed through him at the epiphany. Darth Savage decided that he needed to know the circumstances the preceded his rise to the rank of Darth. He’d have to do it covertly, as not to attract unwanted suspicion.

 _‘So,’_ Darth Savage thought to himself. _‘I have to find a traitor and deliver her to the Emperor, uncover the truth about my predecessor, and deal with my part of the war effort.’_ Mentally sighing, he stated, _‘Just another day in the life of a Darth.’_

~~~~~

The _Forgotten Skylark_ – adrift in space due to damage

~~~~~

Larry muttered a string of curses as he shocked himself for the nth time in as many attempts to repair their engines. After narrowly escaping the destruction of the Peragus II asteroid belt, their starship had given them nothing but trouble. Being the more mechanically inclined of the two wolves, Larry was the one who had to handle it.

“FUCK!!!” the arctic wolf shouted as he once again shocked himself. Throwing the hydrospanner across the engine room, Larry hollered, “Do we have any backup power available? If we don’t manage to make it to a planet for repairs soon, I’ll probably lose all feeling in my right paw at this rate.”

“We’re on emergency power already.” Gary yelled back. “All available power is being routed to the ship’s life support systems. Also, I told you earlier to wear those damn gloves.”

Grumbling, Larry pulled the maintenance container over to peer inside. The gloves in question looked old, too old to provide much protection. Still, it had to be better than getting shocked constantly. Putting the gloves on, Larry flexed his paws, testing and getting used to them. Figuring they’d be sufficient enough until the two bought a better set, Larry went and retrieved the hydrospanner so that he could resume making repairs.

If Larry had asked him for his honest opinion, Gary would have told his partner he didn’t like it any more than he did. Gary was limited to sending out a burst transmission for help using Imperial military flash codes due to the lack of sufficient power. The timber wolf hoped that a friendly ship passing by got his SOS. They didn’t really have a lot of time before their emergency power ran dry.

That gut feeling then came to him. “Larry. I need you up here now.” Gary called out. The arctic wolf arrived just as an incoming response to Gary’s SOS flash code was received. “You’ve got to answer it since you’re the senior partner.” Gary explained.

Rapidly tapping away, Larry forwarded his Imperial designation. A few seconds later, they got another response telling them of the impending arrival of a vessel. Larry jumped up, releasing an elated whoop. They watched their rescuers drop out of hyperspace a short distance away then felt their tractor beam start pulling them towards one of the hangers.

“We’re saved!” Larry exclaimed. Slumping back in his seat, he sighed. “So, who do you think are saviors are? Obviously, they’re allies of the Empire, but who are they?”

“I have no idea, but we’re about to find out.” Gary replied as the ship docked. “Come on. Let’s go meet the ones who saved our hides.”

Exiting the ship, the two wolves were greeted by a large company of battle droids, much to their surprise. Following a custodial droid to the bridge, Larry and Gary noticed that there was a distinct lack of mammalian life. The concept of an all droid crew wasn’t something new, but neither were aware of a successful attempt at one. When they arrived at the ship’s bridge, they found what appeared to be the only other mammal onboard.

“Welcome aboard the _Malevolent One,_ agents.” the leucistic otter civet greeted his two new arrivals. “Please make yourselves comfortable. I’m sure you have a lot of questions. But first, I do believe that you’re required to contact Minister Bellwether. She’s expecting your report. I’ll explain everything afterwards.”

“Where have you two been?” Dawn Bellwether inquired gravely once the transmission connected. “I was just with the newly promoted Darth Savage. He wanted to know of your progress. Do you have any idea how close we, meaning you two and I, were to having him end us?”

“Our apologies, Ma’am.” Larry replied. “We weren’t exactly in a position where we could contact you. You see, our ship is…well, it’s no longer operational. We just barely managed to survive the destruction of the Peragus II asteroid belt.”

“Wait, what? The destruction of the Peragus II asteroid belt? What the devil are you talking about?” Dawn’s voice indicated that she wasn’t faking her reaction.

“You…weren’t informed?” Gary asked in mild disbelief. “The Peragus II asteroid belt mining facility was destroyed. To escape, they fired upon an asteroid, causing it to explode, and setting off a chain reaction. The whole field’s gone, wiped from the face of the galaxy.”

There was silence on the other end of the transmission for approximately 30s before Dawn screamed, “DAMNIT!! DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT!!!! GODS-FUCKIN-DAMNIT!!!!” The sound of things being thrown around and shattering came over the transmission. After a while, Dawn stated, “You find that doe and you bring her to me. Do you understand? With the destruction of the Peragus II asteroid mining facility, my plans, which I worked so hard on for the past couple of years, is no longer possible. I didn’t have a backup supplier lined up as a contingency.”

“Minister Bellwether,” the leucistic otter civet began. “Pardon my interruption, but I have a possible solution.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “You should strike a deal with the Exchange. They have a massive stockpile of fuel from the planet Sleheyron. Although it’s cruder, once refined, it would prove of greater quality than that of Peragus II.”

“Your suggestion is noted.” Sighing, Dawn commanded, “Deliver my agents to the planet of Dromund Kaas. I’ll inform Imperial Intelligence of their impending arrival. Minister Bellwether signing off.”

“Now that that’s done with, allow me to answer the questions on your minds.” the leucistic otter civet stated. “First, I won’t tell you my name. Not because I don’t want to, but because I can’t remember it. Second, as you no doubt surmised, this ship is entirely droid operated. It is the only one of its kind within the Navy. There are others, but they aren’t aligned with the Empire. Third, our journey to Dromund Kaas will take a couple standard hours. I suggest you rest. I’ll have a droid escort you to the crew quarters.”

Leaving the leucistic otter civet, Larry and Gary followed their droid escort in silence. Once inside their berth, they scanned for listening devices. Finding nothing, each sat down on a bed and looked at each other.

“I don’t need your gut to know something definitely isn’t right here.” Larry whispered. “Something is seriously wrong. What do you think? Should we investigate?”

“If we do, we’ll need to be covert in it.” Gary replied. “You’re right though. There’s something that isn’t right about all this.” Drumming his fingers on his knee, Gary watched as Larry pulled out his pocket secretary. “See if you can find anything out about this ship. That’s where we should start.”

~~~~~

500 Republica – Coruscant

~~~~~

Former Supreme Chancellor Leodore Lionheart felt more alive than ever before. Everything was proceeding as he had foreseen. His successor had immediately proven himself in the eyes of the Galactic Senate. Today was the first day since stepping down from office, and he had every intention of seizing it by the throat. The night before, he had taken his mate out for the first time in years, which ended with their most passionate mating session since they had married in secret. Tonight, his plans were for them to simply stay home and enjoy one another’s company.

However, the sound of retching had him worried. When he had awoken, Sierra hadn’t been in bed beside him. Instead, she had locked herself in the refresher, where he could hear her vomiting. Now, as he leaned against the door, Lionheart asked, “When’s the last time you had your cycle?”

“I can’t remember.” Sierra answered. She rested her head against the cool surface of the toilet. Getting up, the tigress washed her mouth out with water from the sink. Opening the door, Sierra found herself muzzle-to-muzzle with her mate. “I think we should go see the veterinarian.”

Nodding, Leodore’s eyes traveled to his mate’s womb. “Our families don’t even know about us. We’ve kept our marital union a closely guarded secret. Are you at all worried about what they’ll say upon learning that you’re pregnant with my cub?”

Cupping his cheeks in her paws, Sierra said, “No. I’m not. Are you?” Seeing the worry in his eyes, she gave him a tender smile. “You worry too much, Leodore. My family loves you. Your pride, on the other paw, will probably have a few choice words about it.”

Taking hold of her paws with his own, Lionheart brought their entwined paws to his chest. “I don’t care about them. I care about you. My mother won’t care, but my father is too prideful of his lineage. My whole life, all I’ve ever heard him preach about is keeping our bloodline pure. Trust me when I say that he’ll view our cub as nothing more than a bastard. There’s even a chance that my father will attempt a ‘purification’.”

“I trust you, Leodore.” Sierra stated resolutely. “Besides, I know for a fact that the rest of your pride will protect us. You needn’t worry.”

Shaking his head, Lionheart said, “You don’t understand, Sierra. You aren’t listening to me. Please, listen to what I’m telling you. My father will do everything within his power to ensure that our bloodline remains pure. If given the opportunity, he will have our cub murdered. Do you understand that? My father’s hubris demands that there are no impurities within his bloodline.”

Seeing how adamant he was on the subject, Sierra gulped nervously. “What about when we were cubs ourselves?” She saw the pain in his eyes as he answered.

“How do you think I received all my scars?” Lionheart heard Sierra’s breath hitch. Their first time making love, she had seen and commented on the collection of scars he possessed. He hadn’t told her how he got them, preferring not to burden her with the knowledge that she was the reason he received them. “He wanted to ensure I chose a lioness as my mate. It’s another reason why I wanted us to get married in secret.”

“Leodore.” Sierra whispered. The tigress couldn’t believe that he kept this a secret from her. However, she could understand his reasons for doing it. Tears began to escape her eyes.

“Hey. Don’t cry.” Lionheart whispered, kissing away her tears. “Give me a bit of time. I’ll figure something out.” He held her tight as his mind began trying to find a way to handle this. They didn’t even know if she was indeed pregnant, but if she was, then he had to protect them. He wouldn’t let his father harm his mate or their unborn cub. All he needed to do was find out a way to deal with his father.

The holotransceiver located in their living room started beeping. Lionheart gave his mate a kiss then went to see who it was trying to contact them. As the holographic display came to life, the lion saw that it was his father. Closing the door behind him, Lionheart asked, “What do you want? If this is about me stepping down from my position as Supreme Chancellor, save it. I made my decision and I’m sticking to it.”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Cub.” Leopold Lionheart berated. “I am your father. You will respect me.”

“You aren’t my father. You’re just the male I unfortunately have as my sire.” Leodore retorted. “Also, respect is something that’s earned, and you haven’t. Not with me.”

Leopold narrowed his eyes at his son. “You’ve always been a problem cub, Leodore. I’ll fix that though. I’ve found you a suitable mate, seeing as you haven’t yet. Your mother and I will be visiting you later today with her in tow.”

“Let me speak with Mother. Alone.” Leodore watched his father huff then get replaced by his mother. “Hello, Mom.” Leodore greeted with a warm smile.

“Hello, little one. Now don’t you dare look at me like that. You’ll always be my little cub no matter how old you get.” Lenora chided. “What is it you wished to speak to me about?”

Lionheart opened the door to his bedroom to reveal the sleeping form of Sierra. Glancing at his mother, Leodore saw the mixture of jubilance, worry, and understanding. “There’s a possibility that Sierra’s pregnant.” he explained, reclosing the door.

“Your father won’t be pleased. He spent a lot of time interviewing candidates for your potential mate. To be frank though, the lioness that he chose for you doesn’t seem thrilled at the prospect either. She’s the daughter of a friend who shares a bit of his mentality, though not much.” Lenora shook her head. “I can only see two options with how we can handle this. Either we can call for a pride meeting and have your father removed from his position, or you’ll have to challenge him and become the leader of our pride. Those are our only two choices.”

“Father has too many friends on the pride’s council for the first option to be successful.” Leodore mused. “Being the patriarch of the pride isn’t something I desire either. Would I have to retain that position? Or, could I bequeath it to another once I’m through making the reforms?”

“I’ll be honest, Leodore. You’ll have to retain that position until your reforms are well underway, but afterwards I’d suggest turning the title over to your sister Lona. She’d make sure your reforms remain in place.” Lenora put her paws on her hips. “You’ll need to issue the challenge immediately upon our arrival. By doing this, your father won’t have time to implement what he has planned. His hubris will force him to accept without demanding the reason behind it.”

“How long until you all arrive?” Leodore asked. “I’ll need time to prepare. You know I’m not one for confrontation.”

“You have about an hour. I’d start getting ready.” Giving her son a small, warm smile, Lenora told him, “Everything will be okay, Leodore. I love you.” The transmission then disconnected.

Leodore remained standing where he was in thought. He was about to challenge his father, the mammal that presided over their pride, for his position as pride patriarch. Knowing it was the only way to ensure the safety of his unborn cub, Leodore steeled himself. The lion wondered if this what it felt like to go marching onto a battlefield. It gave him a whole new respect for General Bogo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I rewatched all the films again. Yes, even the newest ones. They're not the best, but they did have a few concepts which I thought were worth using.
> 
> Also, Renato Manchas's character history underwent a significant amount of rewriting. However, I hope you'll find it intriguing once you figure out the mystery concerning him. I spent a lot of time perusing Wookieepedia for just the right inspiration for it. It's also based on a real-life phenomenon in physics. That's all I'll say about it.
> 
> Also, all AE-47's components can be searched in the Wookieepedia search engine.


	8. Chapter Seven: Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting next chapter, the mission-based storylines will begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everybody. It's Ian again.
> 
> Wow. Feels like forever since I updated. Sorry about that, but it was unavoidable. I'm a high school freshman and testing starts soon. So, I have to study.
> 
> Uncle's helping me, which takes time away from his own writing. Hopefully, after testing's over, we'll return to a more normal schedule.

** Chapter Seven: Preparations **

* * *

~~

**The _Night Howler_ – en route towards Tatooine**

~~

Still in transit for Tatooine, Nick wasted no time in beginning Judy’s training. Never having mentored anyone, it was a learning experience for Nick as well. They began with Nick having Judy perform the standard exercises and tasks expected of Jedi Initiates. At Nick’s instruction, Judy attempted to levitate T9-D4. Although it gave her a bit of difficulty at first, the doe’s perseverance resulted in success. Nick was impressed with her fiery tenacity. However, a part of him wondered whether to incorporate a couple of Sith training exercises as well or not.

Judy stopped what she was doing to look at Nick. She could sense the mental conflict he was having with himself. “What are you thinking about, Nick?” she inquired. Watching his expression carefully, the doe observed how it shifted through a series of different ones before the tod sighed.

“I won’t lie to you.” Nick told her. “I’m considering whether to integrate a bit of Sith training into your curriculum.” Seeing her eyes go wide, he said, “Before you say anything, let me explain. There are more Force-centric institutions than only the Jedi and the Sith in the galaxy. Each one possesses secrets that aren’t known to the others. Every member of the Jedi Order is taught the same basics which they then build upon. Same with the Sith, the Jal Shey, the Zeison Sha, and all the rest of them. However, with that being said, none of them have any real knowledge about how the other are trained. The only exception being the Jedi and Sith Orders, which share quite a few similarities in how they train those who join their ranks. By learning everything you can about each, you would gain an immense advantage over them all.”

After considering Nick’s words, Judy could understand, and even see, what he was trying to tell her. Although she agreed it would indeed prove advantageous, it still didn’t sit well with her. However, Judy trusted that Nick would keep her from succumbing to the Dark Side should she feel tempted to fall. “Let’s do it.”

“In that case,” Nick began. “I should inform you that Sith training is far more intensive than what’s undertaken by those hoping to become Jedi. The Sith have a much higher standard as well.” Thrusting his paw out towards Judy, he slammed the doe into the bulkhead directly behind her with the Force and held her there. “To truly understand what it means to be a Sith, one must give into their own inner darkness. To surpass the Sith, one must accept themselves for who they truly are as a mammal. Don’t fight or conquer your fears, accept them. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. The Jedi Code dictates there is no emotion, but rather inner peace. Yet, to deny yourself emotion would be to deny your mammality. The Sith would have you surrender to your passion, yet they instruct you to retain control over them. Therefore, a middle ground is needed. A state of tranquility where you can still utilize your emotions, such as your anger, and your fear.”

As if instinctually, Judy used Force Maelstrom, breaking free from Nick’s telekinetic assault in the process. The contents within the ship’s cargo hold flew around, but not a single one struck the tod, who merely batted it away without so much as lifting a finger. Judy lashed out, sending a massive barrage of Force Lightning at him, only for him to catch it and use the Tutaminis Force ability to absorb it all.

“There it is. That’s the expression I wanted to see on your muzzle.” Nick stated upon observing how Judy’s expression seemed totally devoid of any emotion other than tranquility. Tossing a training lightsaber at her with the Force, he summoned one to his own paw. Igniting it, Nick commanded, “Prepare yourself, Love. We’re gonna get dangerous.”

The two launched themselves at one another, colliding viciously. Communicating via their Force Bond, Nick would instruct her in the basics of the various forms used in lightsaber combat. Judy again proved she was an exceptionally quick learner. Soon, they were engaged in a lightsaber duel which would have impressed even the legends of old. They sparred one another, striking, parrying, countering, and evading each other utilizing Force-enhanced speed.

It ended when their training lightsabers came together with a powerful ‘KRACRACK’, which resulted in the destruction of both. The hilts shorted out, never to be used ever again. Breathing heavily, they gazed into the eyes of the other. Casting their now useless training sabers aside, they both flew forward to engage in paw-to-paw combat. Twisting, contorting, and grappling, the two displayed their skill the various martial arts styles in which they were trained.

That bout came to an end when Nick pinned Judy to another bulkhead. Still breathing hard from exertion, their eyes remained locked onto the other’s. Judy’s legs were encircling Nick’s waist, and her arms around his neck. The tod’s own paws held the doe’s waist, keeping her where she was positioned. Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Pulling away, Nick managed to say, “We need to stop.” Separating himself from her, he stated, “As much as I would love to continue, this is neither the time nor the place for it.” Leaning against the opposite bulkhead, Nick focused on getting his breathing back to normal.

Nodding, Judy let herself slide down the bulkhead she was against until she was in a sitting position. “That was…” She gulped down a deep breath of air. “That was intense alright. It was really something else.”

Breathing normally again, Nick said, “I’ll be honest. I didn’t expect any of that to happen.” Walking over to her, he added, “However, it won’t always be like that.” Sitting down next to Judy, Nick stated, “It’s important we remained focused on your training. We can’t deviate too greatly or there’ll be severe repercussions.”

“No, I understand.” Judy told him. “My training is my only priority, other than reaching Coruscant.” Standing, she offered to help Nick up as well. “We should reach Tatooine soon. I’ll help you clean up the cargo hold.”

Together, it took almost no time at all to get the cargo hold back in order. Once they finished, Nick and Judy made their way to the _Night Howler_ ’s cockpit where AE-47 and T9-D4 awaited their arrival. Judy sat in the co-pilot’s position while Nick sat down in the captain’s seat.

“ETA?” Nick asked AE-47. Instead of a verbal response, he watched as they dropped out of hyperspace, and viewed the planet Tatooine directly outside the cockpit viewport. “Looks like we were right on time, Fluff.”

“Looks like it.” Judy confirmed. “You know, I’ve never been to Tatooine. Heard a lot about it, but never visited it myself. Until now anyway.”

“The entire planet is one big desert.” Nick explained. “It’s also controlled by the Exchange. They’re the major power out here in this part of the galaxy. This will be a good place to train for a bit, and for us to make a few credits. The bounties out here pay rather well compared to elsewhere.” Clapping his paws once, Nick said, “Alright. Let’s land out in the Dune Sea. At least, that way, we won’t have to bother dealing with the Port Authority.”

~~

**Palace of the Jedi – Tython**

~~

The Jedi High Council had gathered upon being summoned by the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Valeria Wilde. What members couldn’t be present themselves attended via holo. Among those assembled was Emmitt Otterton, Kris Otterton’s father. The reason for his presence, despite not sitting upon the Jedi High Council, was due to the disappearance of his daughter.

“We’re gathered here today to discuss the Dark Side entity which escaped the Forbidden Temple.” Valeria announced to her fellow councilmembers. “I’ve discovered its nature, and what it desires.” There was quiet murmuring from the others, who fell silent when she continued. “We’re also here to talk about the assassin droid which assaulted Master Shifu and myself while en route here. Felicity? If you would?”

Felicity Reddington walked into the center of the room from where she had stood behind Valeria. “The assassin droid, known as ‘Huntsmammal’, was constructed using state-of-the-art technology. I’ve managed to pinpoint everything but where it was manufactured and by whom. However, what I have discovered is that it wasn’t the only one of its kind. There are others, and they’re all designed with one purpose: Assassinating Jedi.”

“Designed specifically for that purpose? Or, can they be reprogrammed to target Sith as well?” Jedi Master Leonidas Delgato queried. “I, for one, think the application of such droids to assist our military campaign against the Sith Empire would prove quite useful. Advantageous even.” There were murmurs of agreement from a select few other councilmembers.

“Theoretically, it’s possible.” Felicity admitted. “However, I wouldn’t recommend it. At least, not with this type of droid. After studying the base programming, I discovered these droids don’t have any of the typical software. They’re feral. To make matters worse, their behavior is reminiscent of pack dynamics. You know what that means.”

A few councilmembers whispered to each other. Leonidas Delgato sat back in his seat. The others remained silent, waiting to hear everything before beginning to contemplate what position they’d take.

Emmitt Otterton asked, “Not to overly divert the meaning for this gathering, but we also need to talk about the Dark Side entity my daughter inadvertently set free from the Forbidden Temple.” This had everyone fall silent once more, and they straightened themselves in their seats.

Nodding, Valeria said, “We’ll continue the discussion of the droid later. Right now, it’s imperative we decide what to do about the Dark Side entity.” Retaining everyone’s attention, Valeria stated, “Trekking deep into the Forbidden Temple, I learned that many eons ago a member of our order began to dabble in the Dark Side, hoping to uncover its secrets with the intention of using that knowledge to combat it. Obviously, this is not what happened. When the High Council of the time learned of what he was doing, they confronted him. A battle ensued, which resulted in them combining their strength to seal him within a sarcophagus. They then built the Forbidden Temple to keep him sealed within.”

“From the glyphs that adorned the crypt’s interior walls, the mammal was a Jedi Master named Renato Manchas, a black jaguar, who was one of the Jedi Order’s most powerful Jedi Sages and Battle-masters. It is unknown exactly why he desired to delve into teachings of the Dark Side. However, a few of the records which still exist from that time indicate the jaguar probably fell due to what he perceived as betrayal. He’s not a Force Spirit, but flesh and blood. His objective: …” Valeria paused to gaze at each of the other councilmembers. “…redemption. He wants to show us that the Jedi who sealed him away were mistaken in their assumptions.”

Master Shifu turned his attention to Emmitt. “Knight Otterton. Your daughter, Kris, isn’t in any real danger. However, it would appear she’s left Tython in hopes of rectifying her perceived mistake. While it is, in a way, a mistake, both Valeria and myself think it would be wise to wait and see what Renato Manchas will do. With that being said, it’s imperative we find her, and fast. Should she try confronting him, there’s no way for us to know what’ll happen.”

Emmitt shifted uncomfortably in place. The mere though of his daughter being in danger filled him with worry. “Do you have any thoughts or indication about where she’s gone?”

“Ossus.” Valeria answered, automatically. “There’s evidence she’s heading for Ossus in search of a method to reseal Renato Manchas. Considering that’s where most of our Lore Keepers maintain the Great Jedi Library, it’s not much of a surprise. The main concern is where she’ll go afterwards.”

“I’ll find her.” Emmitt vowed as he departed. His daughter needed him. He would never forgive himself should anything tragic befell her. As a father, it was his job to protect her.

With Emmitt gone, Felicity stated, “Back to the droid issue, you all need to make a decision.” She witnessed as all the councilmembers turned to look at Master Delgato. “It would seem the decision falls to you, Leonidas.”

The lion Jedi Master drummed his fingers upon his knee. “Master Valeria? Master Shifu? What are your thoughts on the matter?”

Valeria and Shifu shared a look. They had already discussed the subject at great length. Although there were risks, they were currently embroiled in a war which spanned the galaxy.

Therefore, Valeria answered, stating, “We agree with you the droids would be useful. However, there will have to be certain modifications made. Felicity has already acquiesced to dealing with that. Other than that, neither of us see any issue with it.”

Giving the vixen a nod, Leonidas Delgato replied, “Then we should get to work. The first thing we need to do is find out where these droids are being manufactured and produced. Then, we can focus on having Ms. Reddington infiltrate and reprogramming the droids with the modifications.”

~~

** Darth Savage’s Apartment - Zootopia **

~~

Meditating within his apartment, the jackrabbit opened himself to the Force. In front of him, levitated by the Force, was the singular memento which had any connection to his past. It was a gift given to him by his twin brother upon achieving the rank of Jedi Knight. Darth Savage didn’t know why he kept it. The damn thing was nothing more than a mere bauble with no purpose. Yet, it was the only item he possessed which aided in his meditations. The jackrabbit remembered his twin once saying inside the puzzle was another trinket. However, Darth Savage had never managed to solve and discover what it contained.

Darth Savage had set his acolyte free to do as he pleased. After all, the jackrabbit needed some time to think within the solitude of his apartment. He had a feeling the weasel was currently re-establishing his reputation throughout the ecumenopolis, and its criminal elements. Unbeknownst to the jackrabbit, Duke Weaselton had something much more significant in mind.

In one of the seedier hovels within Zootopia’s lower levels, Duke Weaselton sat across from a former associate named Travis Ferrer, a black-footed ferret. To any outside observer, it would almost have looked like the two were discussing a business transaction. That was lightyears away from the truth.

“So,” Travis began. “You wanted to talk about what happened between us. Start talking then.”

Setting his stein down, Duke stated, “Ya were da best o’ us, Trav. Ya left us. Why?” The weasel let himself slip into using his old speech patterns.

“You know why, Duke.” Travis replied. “I broke the academy’s covenant. Therefore, I was excommunicated. This is the price I must pay in penance.”

After a momentary silence, Duke extracted an item from his satchel. Placing it on the table between them, he stood and made to leave. Pausing only long enough to look back once, Duke saw no indication of the ferret following him. Weaselton had probably only gotten a block away when screams filled the air. Stopping, he waited. Moments later, he was joined by Travis, and they disappeared into the night as law enforcement arrived.

“This is going to be such fun.” Travis stated enthusiastically. The ferret patted his newly reclaimed lightwhip. Stopping to give Duke a look, he said, “No one can know about this. You do understand that, right?”

“Yes.” Duke answered. “My master and I will be departing tomorrow afternoon. So, you’ll need to find a way to infiltrate the mammals who are joining the crew onboard the starship.”

“I’ll figure something out.” Travis replied. “After all, I was undergoing training to be a Sith Assassin during my time at the academy. They taught us abilities like Force Stealth, Force Clouding, and Force Invisibility. I’ll simply utilize a combination of those to board the starship. A memory rub here and there to warp the memories of a few relief crew members, and I’ll have been with them since the beginning.”

Once Duke had given Travis all the information needed, the two parted ways, each heading to take care of a few loose ends. Travis made his way to a small hole-in-the-wall where a young female polecat was singing onstage. Travis watched her with a smile. She was his whole world, but not his greatest treasure. No, Travis’s greatest treasure was the tiny café in which the two currently occupied. It was in this coffee bar she had encouraged him to join the Sith. There weren’t many inside the establishment, but enough.

The female polecat spied Travis in the crowd, a malevolent smirk on his muzzle, the hilt of a lightwhip in paw. She understood the meaning behind his expression, knew what his presence meant. Finishing the song, she ended it by singing, “~Sail far away from Lullaby Bay.”

As the final musical note faded, the ‘Snap-hiss’ of Travis’s lightwhip coming to life alerted the patrons of imminent danger to their wellbeing. Travis didn’t hesitate to strike down all within the establishment except the female polecat. The smell of cauterized flesh as the lightwhip dismembered the poor, unfortunate souls filled the air along with their screams of anguish.

Once the final body collapsed, Travis shut off his lightwhip. Slowly making his way toward the female polecat, the ferret stated, “You know why I’m here.” Raising a paw, he shot a powerful bolt of Force Lightning at the glowpanel behind her, causing it to explode. The fire created as a result slowly began to spread throughout the building. Within moments, the entire structure was engulfed in an inferno with both Travis and the female polecat inside.

Placing a paw on her hip, which was cocked out, the female polecat said, “So, the time has come for you to finally move forward.” Descending from the stage, she moved to stand directly in front of Travis. “You made me wait, and I hate waiting. However, since it’s you, I’ll let it slide. Just this once though. I won’t be so lenient next time.”

A large portion of the ceiling caved, trapping the two within the raging blaze. The sound of the emergency firespeeder sirens could be heard as they swiftly approached. The two continued to gaze at one another, not caring the building was coming down around them.

Across the city, Darth Savage slowly opened his eyes and stood. Walking toward his balcony, he noticed how the sky became illuminated by the distant blaze. Reaching out with his paw, through the Force, the jackrabbit extinguished it. “Already moving against me, my acolyte? Or, are you attempting something more sinister?” A wicked, maniacal grin overtook his crazed expression. “I can’t wait to see what you do next.”

~~

**Deucalon Spaceport – Promenade – Nar Shaddaa**

~~

Once the _Soldier of Fortune_ had landed, the crew disembarked. At General Bogo’s orders, they split into teams of two then went their separate ways with instructions to regroup aboard the ship in three standard hours. Zannah was partnered with Honey, at Harrison’s request. Harrison promised to explain everything to her later before departing with a MCR-100 Miniprobe which would keep him in contact with them. M-3PX remained on the ship, expressing someone needed to stay in case they had to make a swift departure. The Hopps siblings also remained behind, neither wanting to create unnecessary issues for the others by getting lost.

General Bogo and SIS Agent Clawhauser immediately traveled to the SIS safehouse. Taking a taxi to Promenade, where it was located, the buffalo and cheetah were careful they didn’t draw unwanted attention to themselves, or their destination. Upon arrival, the two weren’t permitted entrance until Clawhauser provided his credentials.

“Ah! General Kemp Bogo! Welcome! You as well, SIS Agent Benjamin Clawhauser!” SIS Agent Higgins greeted. “We’ve been expecting you since HQ sent word. If you would follow me, please.”

SIS Agent Higgins’ office wasn’t all that large. In fact, it was fairly small for a mammal of his size. Regardless, it accommodated the three mammals relatively fine. Higgins gave them a smile, albeit somewhat forced.

“You’ll have to forgive me. It’s not often I receive visitors. Plus, I’m currently under review for a series of unfortunate events which have plagued us recently.” Higgins gave each of them a file. “That’s all the information I’ve managed to acquire concerning your mammal of interest. She was seen in the company of a red fox tod, whose identity is still, as of yet, unknown.”

Clawhauser flipped through the file as Bogo listened to the rest of Higgins report. At first glance, it appeared rather straightforward. However, upon a second readthrough, it was obvious a couple of details were purposely made vague. “Agent Higgins? Would you kindly explain the reason for such vagueness in this report? Please?”

“Regrettably,” SIS Higgins began. “I’ve received orders directly from the SIS Director to remain silent concerning the information retained within that report. Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to answer any questions you have. I was instructed to redact everything, but ultimately decided to doctor the document instead. My suggestion would be to speak with the Director if you have questions.”

Judging from the hippopotamus’s expression, Clawhauser understood what he was trying to say. Nodding slowly, the cheetah sat back and waited for their meeting to end. There really wasn’t much else which needed to be reported. They had managed to narrow down a list of possible destinations for which their target had departed. Other than that, the only additional bit of information was the sudden increase of Imperials. While not enough to raise alarm, it was certainly a pretty substantial amount.

Leaving the SIS safehouse, Clawhauser stated, “We need to find somewhere I can establish an encrypted commchannel with the SIS Director. I’d prefer heading back to the ship, but this can’t wait. Any Ideas, General?”

Scanning the area, Bogo spotted a welcoming sight: The Republic Embassy. “It would seem we’re in luck.” Pointing it out to SIS Agent Clawhauser, Bogo stated, “What do you think? Acceptable?”

Rolling his eyes, Clawhauser replied, “Obviously.” Leading the way inside, the cheetah flashed his credentials at the receptionist, requesting a private room. After receiving a key, he led Bogo to it and got started prepping an encrypted commchannel. Once it was ready, he contacted the SIS Director.

As the SIS Director’s hologram materialized, it greeted, “Special Agent Benjamin Clawhauser. You’re looking well. I apologize for the roundabout way of getting you to contact me, but one can never be too cautious nowadays.” Spying General Bogo, he added, “Nice to finally make the acquaintance of a war hero as well, General Kemp Bogo. Your reputation precedes you.”

“Pardon me, Director, but I believe you have the answers to our questions.” Clawhauser interrupted before Bogo could speak. “Who exactly is the tod referenced in the report? Why has everything concerning him been redacted?”

Sighing, the SIS Director clasped his paws behind his back. “His name is Nicholas Piberius Wilde. He’s the son of Valeria Wilde, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and an unknown sire. Wait one moment while I grant you access the dossier we’ve compiled on him.” A few seconds later, he said, “There we go. You now have full authorization to read the unredacted version of his file.”

Opening it, Clawhauser quickly read the information. Once he was done, the cheetah simply said, “Oh.” Stepping aside to let General Bogo read it all, Clawhauser turned to the SIS Director. “It would appear Lt. Col. Hopps isn’t our only mammal of interest on this mission.”

“No. No, she is not.” the SIS Director confirmed. “I won’t rescind the order to capture her, but do not engage Nicholas Wilde. Right now, the mere fact he’s assisting her in reaching Republic-aligned space should be considered a major favor toward us. Therefore, I’m amending my orders. Ensure the safe arrival of both Lt. Col. Hopps and Nicholas Wilde to any planet allied with the Republic.”

|MEANWHILE – BACK ABOARD THE _SOLDIER OF FORTUNE_ |

Each member of the crew had returned upon completing their assigned tasks. As they awaited the return of General Bogo and Agent Clawhauser, everyone sat within the ship’s conference room. M-3PX had the ship prepped and ready for an immediate takeoff just in case they had to get out of there fast. Harrison was in the seat next to Zannah, who now wore a japor snippet pendant necklace. Honey sat in-between the Hopps siblings, working on another droid while they watched. None of them spoke as they waited for their companions to return. The silence was broken by a sudden incoming transmission.

M-3PX stated, “Excuse me, sir. Shouldn’t you answer that? It could be from General Bogo.”

Harrison considered it for a moment before accepting the transmission. Everyone was greeted by the hologram of a mammal familiar to them all: Admiral Octavia Otterton. The female otter had made quite a name for herself. She was viewed by everyone under her command as Mother of the Republic Navy. Zannah went to stand and salute, but Admiral Otterton stopped her.

“Please remain seated, Lt. Col. Fangmeyer.” Octavia requested. “I had hoping to speak with General Bogo, but it would appear he isn’t present.” Taking a reverse arm-fold stance, she stated, “I’ve received orders from my superiors to provide assistance in your mission. There’s only one major issue: my orders are to remain on standby until further notice. My fleet is currently en route toward Naboo. It would appear the CIS are planning to invade the planet.”

“Why would the CIS invade Naboo?” Zannah inquired. “They don’t pose a threat to them. It doesn’t make any sense. What reason do they have to launch an invasion?”

Admiral Otterton shrugged. “From what I’ve gathered, the Queen of Naboo merely attempted to open negotiations concerning trade routes. Knowing the CIS, they were probably scandalized by Naboo’s resistance to their authority. More than likely, the CIS want to coerce Naboo into subservience. Rather unfortunately for them, the Galactic Senate approved Senator Gazelle’s request for military aid. The new Supreme Chancellor was more than happy to oblige, considering she was selected to take the position of Staff Aide.”

“The CIS have always been more concerned about profit than anything else.” General Bogo stated as he entered followed closely by Agent Clawhauser. “Greetings, Admiral Otterton. You’re looking well.” Taking a seat, the buffalo said, “I’ve recently been told by the SIS Director you’ll be acting as our support. I must admit, it’ll be an honor.”

“What did you learn concerning our target of interest?” Admiral Otterton inquired. “Have you discovered their location? Or, do you know where they’re going next?”

“Reports seem to indicate they are possibly heading for Corellia.” Bogo replied. “However, there’s a chance this could only be what they want us to think. We have no way of verifying any of the information gathered. As of right now, I plan to set course for Naboo. Although it goes against our current orders, I will not permit the CIS to invade such a critically important planet during a war of this magnitude. Besides, if Lt. Col. Hopps is anything like she’s been described to me, I’ll bet the doe will reroute there as well.”

~~

** Elevator to the Shadowlands – Kashyyyk **

~~

“Ugh. It’s so humid.” Skye complained. Holding onto the guardrail, she glanced at Finn. The arctic vixen couldn’t understand how he wasn’t in a similar state. Kashyyyk was unlike any planet she ever visited. It was a beautiful up among the trees. However, the Shadowlands were a different story entirely. Skye could only gulp the further down they descended using an ancient, primitive pulley elevator.

“You need to calm down.” Finn told her. “It’s not the Shadowlands itself you need to fear, but everything that lives there.” The fennec tod’s paws rested on his blasters. “We should be okay. After all, Hanbacca probably cleared a lot of the creatures out. Even if he hasn’t, they probably won’t get too close out of fear. After all, he’s the apex predator here.”

Their descent into the Shadowlands was slow. They did eventually reach the bottom though. Neither said a single word as the two slowly made their way toward Hanbacca’s hut. Both were distinctly aware of the various creatures observing them from a distance, but they ignored them and continued onward. Approaching the hut of Hanbacca, Finn signaled Skye to stop.

“Oh, holy fuckin’ hell. You got to be shitting me.” Finn whispered. Drawing his blasters, the fennec crept forward slowly. Gesturing for Skye to stay back, Finn scanned the area. There were bits and pieces of equipment Finn immediately recognized. His ears heard something off to the side. Turning to look, Finn found Skye standing next to him, with a recon assault bowcaster aimed at the back of her head. His eyes followed the weapon to the arm then muzzle of its owner. Finn’s eyes widened upon seeing the utterly massive ursine clad in Mandalorian Neo-Crusader Assault Armour.

“I’m going to assume you’re Finn and Skye.” Hanbacca stated in Ursine. Lowering his weapon, he said, “Welcome to the Shadowlands, my home. Please, step inside. There’s much to discuss.” Letting the two vulpines into his hut, Hanbacca removed his helmet, revealing the heavily scarred muzzle beneath. “Would you like anything to eat or drink?”

“No, thank you. We’re fine.” Finn’s usage of Ursine was well received considering the grolar bear’s broad grin. “You’re aware of why we’re here, yes?” Getting a nod, the fennec sat down then signaled Skye to sit next to him. “Just out of curiosity, how exactly does an ursine become a Mandalorian?”

“Like any other who wishes to join the Mandalorians.” Hanbacca answered. Claiming the seat across from his guests, Hanbacca said, “However, I think it best we begin discussing why Nick sent you to me. Did he explain his reasons for sending you?”

“Not really.” Finn answered. “Although, I do have an idea. My only real major concern is whether we’ll be doing this while traveling or not. You see, we’re supposed to rendezvous with Nick on Corellia afterwards. Therefore, we don’t have a lot of time.”

“I’m aware.” Hanbacca replied. “Which is why Nick tasked you with collecting me. I’ll be accompanying you to the rendezvous on Corellia. However, the three of us won’t head there immediately. There is much we must do before reuniting with Nick and your ward.” Taking out an imagecaster, he activated it. The holograph projected was of a _Sphyrna_ -class corvette. “This starship is located deep within the Shadowlands.”

Skye, who hadn’t said a word since the conversation began, finally spoke upon seeing Hanbacca’s holograph. “Is this the starship we’ll be using?” The arctic vixen watched Hanbacca nod. “How long has it been here? I don’t even think they manufacture those anymore.” Hanbacca answered in ursine, prompting Skye to glance at Finn for a translation.

“He discovered it a few years ago upon coming to live down here.” Finn explained. “According to the ship’s logs, it crash-landed after getting shot down during a space battle above the planet. Chances are everyone onboard were killed when exploring the Shadowlands.”

“Is the ship still operational though?” Skye inquired, to which Hanbacca responded with an affirmative grr. “It probably needs to undergo quite a few upgrades. However, I could probably make it relatively spaceworthy again. At least, enough for it to a shipyard for the appropriate modifications.”

“Alrighty then.” Finn declared. “Let’s get cracking. It’s just a trek deeper into the Shadowlands than anyone in their right mind would attempt. No worries.”

~~

**Galaxies Opera House – Coruscant**

~~

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Leota.” Leodore Lionheart stated as he took a seat next to the other older lion. “I’d also like to apologize for any problems this mess has caused you. It was never my intention to have anyone who isn’t family involved.”

“You aren’t the one who should be apologizing, Leodore.” Lewellyn Leota replied. “Leona explained everything to me. If you’ve come seeking absolution, don’t bother. After all, I’m not irate with you, but your father, Leopold.”

“Be that as it may, I still feel at least partially responsible for all of this.” Leodore expressed. “None of this would have occurred had I simply told them the truth. By keeping it a secret, the only thing I’ve done is brought unnecessary strife.”

“I disagree.” Lewellyn countered. “Had you informed them earlier, it would’ve created a lot more issues for all of us. Besides, you were protecting your mate. No one can fault you for that. Your father, on the other paw, is in a lot of trouble, and not just with me.”

Leodore released a sigh. “I know. My mother told me he’s lost most of his supporters. She also implied, should I attempt an insurrection, many of them wouldn’t hesitate to elect me as his successor.”

“Your mother’s a perceptive one, I’ll give her that.” Lewellyn told the younger lion. “Believe me, I share her thoughts on the matter.” Placing a paw on Leodore’s shoulder, he stated, “I’ve already spoken with most of my close associates. In the upcoming election, you’ll have our support.”

Leodore and Lewellyn fell silent as the Galaxies Opera House lights dimmed and the show began. During the performance’s intermission, Leodore queried, “You are aware my father will more than likely consider your actions as treason, correct? Can you handle being branded a traitor?”

A chuckle escaped Lewellyn’s lips at the question. “I’m already a traitor just for conspiring with you, Leodore. Anyway, you shouldn’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. You need to focus on devising a winning strategy.”

As the performance resumed, neither spoke a single word. After the show, both bade the other farewell. Leodore immediately made his way home, where he was greeted with the sight of Sierra relaxing on their couch. Quietly approaching, he draped a blanket over her. Placing a kiss upon his mate’s forehead, Leodore went to the kitchen where he discovered his mother, Lenora, having a drink. “I spoke with Lewellyn.” he informed her.

“Oh?” Lenora inquired. “Is that so? What did he have to say about the situation?”

“I’ve got both his support and that of the Council of Elders.” Leodore answered. Accepting the beverage his mother proffered him, he said, “I don’t think Father has any friends remaining on the Council.” Leodore heard his mother snort as if though saying ‘tell me something I don’t know already’. Setting his drink down, Leodore commented, “You don’t seem too surprised.”

“I’m not.” Lenora retorted. Standing, she walked towards a viewport. “Unlike your father, I’ve paid attention. He’s estranged all those who were once his friends, and not just on the Council of Elders. I fear we’ve given them the perfect opportunity to rid themselves of your father. Although I loathe to admit it, there’s no other option available for us at this point.”

“Well, the Council of Elders will convene tomorrow morning. Father and I will have to present our arguments then. Afterwards, they’ll hold a vote which will determine our fates. However, it appears their decision is already decided.” Leodore downed what remained of his drink. “You’d think as the former Supreme Chancellor, I’d be comfortable with something like this.”

“Instead, you’re nervous. Believe me, I get it.” Lenora replied softly. “You needn’t be though. I’ll be there, and so will Sierra. Your father won’t stand a chance. Especially since I’ve uncovered some rather interesting information concerning his history and Sierra’s.” Seeing her son’s confused expression, she shook her head. “You’ll find out tomorrow. Now, go to bed.” Once Leodore did as he was told, Lenora grabbed the datapad she had set aside upon his arrival. Rereading the details once more, she said, “Oh, Leopold.” Taking out her Hush-98 comlink, she contacted an old friend, “Hey, Rajah. I need your help with something. It concerns a tigress named Sierra Khan. She’s pregnant with my son’s cub.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glimpse of the next chapter: Judy's training intensifies, and Nick makes a decision. The Sith Emperor himself leads a secret fleet of reinforcements to assist the Republic at Naboo. Darth Savage launches an assault on Tython and battles Shifu. Plus, a lot more.
> 
> We'll also learn the winning lightsaber colours.
> 
> Cya next chapter release y'all.


	9. An Inside Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a look into the background of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During an hour of free time, Uncle and I began discussing things about SWZ. We decided to do something call a reciprocal interview. Basically, it's quid pro quo.
> 
> I'll be in Bold. He'll be in italics.
> 
> Hopefully, this will clear up a few things people have questions about.
> 
> Also, this post will eventually be removed, but replaced with something...more...later.

**Is the current storyline the original? Or, did you change it prior to posting Prologue: Opening Scroll?**

_I had about three other storylines before posting the Prologue. The first had Nick as Skye's Sith Acolyte and Judy as Jack's Jedi Padawan. The story just didn't go anywhere after a certain point no matter what I did. The second was similar, but Nick and Jack were both Sith Lords where as Skye and Judy were Master and Padawan respectively. Aspects of that one will be seen later. As for the third, they all started as Jedi, but Nick and Skye would fall then be redeemed. Very boring._

_~_

_What was your purpose for incorporating more players in the war? You already had the Sith/Empire vs Jedi/Republic, so why include the CIS and other minor forces?_

**Well, in the original script, key events were lacking. Besides, there's always more than just two sides to a war. I wanted to impart a bit more realism. The Confederacy of Independent Systems, or CIS Separatists, were a major factor during the Clone Wars. It only made sense to include them. Speaking of clones, they will make an appearance eventually. The reason for the more minor forces will be revealed in due time.**

**~**

**Did you create character sheets for each of the prominent characters? If so, what did you include?**

_I did. I used an Excel Workbook to create them. I basically combined restructured tabletop RPG sheets with those used to build videogame characters_

_I got really good at navigating Wookieepedia in the process. Figuring out who had what traits took time. Using the info to rewrite their backstories was one hell of a feat._

_~_

_What do you have planned next? Are we going to see any space battles? Any actual lightsaber combat?_

**Oh, yes. Action scenes aren't my forte, a reason Chapter eight is taking so long, but they are coming. Also, we'll soon have a run-in with some Mandalorians. Be prepared.**

**~**

**Were there any issues you had when deciding which aspects of Canon and EU to use?**

_Plenty. So, I used Wookieepedia, A LOT. I tried to only use articles that are found in both. However, there were a few strictly used in either Canon or EU but not both though._

_~_

_Since you're now heavily involved with the development of this story, what are your plans?_

**Turn it into a novel series. I'm being serious here. I love Star Wars and Zootopia. I plan to continue it for as long as I can.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to post something for May the Fourth. This is the result. Obviously, it could be much better, and I fully intend to deliver. After Chapter 8, I'll post something a bit more comprehensive. Until then, you have my apologies.


	10. Lightsaber Crystal Poll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The poll to determine the colour of the upcoming lightsabers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is simply a poll to determine what colours our characters will have for lightsabers.
> 
> Note: I will not have Nick and Judy's lightsaber colours mirror the other's eyes. It's an overused concept. Pick something different please.

**Lightsaber Crystal Poll**

Okay. So, here's how this works:

1\. Go to the url link, read the list of colours (ignoring the names of the crystals which produce that colour).

2\. Read the list of characters that will eventually acquire a lightsaber.

3\. In your comment box, use this format: Character name = Lightsaber colour = why.

 

That's all.

 

It's simple, right? Not even close. You're going to need to seriously consider the characters and what type of mammal they are.

Why is this difficult? Why, it's because we're just beginning to learn who our characters are.

 

Your reason why each character has your choice of colour shouldn't be more than three to four points or sentences. Keep it short, but to the point.

The type of lightsaber each will wield has already been decided, so we just need the colours.

Also, like the KOTOR video games, there will be crystals used to augment their lightsabers. These have also been predetermined.

 

Basically, what we're looking for is which colour would best fit each character, their personality, and their character type.

 

Character List: (the characters listed have yet to reveal their lightsaber colours. Therefore, Shifu are not included. Harrison and Valeria are due to the fact their colours has yet to be determined.)

Harrison Wolford

Lord Savage

Nick Wilde

Judy Hopps

Valeria Wilde

Kris Otterton

(the following are future characters)

Duke Weaselton (Sith)

McHorn (Jedi)

Piggy Swinton (Sith)

Flash Slothmore (Jedi)

Emmitt Otterton (Jedi)

Renato Manchas (Jedi turned Sith turned Jedi | Redeemed Fallen Jedi)

Yax (Former Jedi and Former Sith Now a hermit)

Leonidas Delgato (Jedi)

Travis (Sith)

 

Lightsaber Colours url: [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber_crystal#Known_color_crystals]

Remember: Not all Sith wielded red coloured lightsabers. Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious wielded a blue coloured lightsaber alongside his red one on rare occasions. Darth Revan, from KOTOR, wielded a purple one during his time as a Sith. Orange was another colour used by Sith, though not usually. Dark Lady of the Sith Luminya's Lightwhip wasn't ever given a set colour, but it was said that it wasn't red. Alema Rar's Sith lightsaber was blue with a black core.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Words: The lightsaber colour 'Silver' often identified a Forceful as one who had formerly been both a Sith and a Jedi, but were no longer either.
> 
> Technically, Nick could wield a silver coloured lightsaber, having a strong connection to both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. However, we have a surprise in store for y'all considering Nick's lightsaber.


	11. The SWZ Starshipwright Competition!!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's competition time. Please note that this is entirely optional. If you do participate, I implore you to read it in its entirety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the best writer, but I'm an even worse artist. I want to encourage artists and promote the importance of them, so my son and I just came up with this idea. Hold an art contest. Neither of us expect much participation, but we would like to see how many people respond, if any.

** The SWZ Starshipwright Competition **

Goal: Promote the arts and encourage artists.

So, I kind of gave a rough description of the Night Howler (Nick's starship). My son wanted to  _see_ what it would look like, but I can't even draw acceptable stick figures. Therefore, I decided to host a small competition, as I'm also curious to see what it would look like. I have a mental image, but that doesn't do me a lot of good since I can't draw. Conclusion: "Oh, readers~!"

Rules: Below are the starships that I used as inspiration for the design in my mind. I've also added the URLs for where you can find layouts and images, mainly wookiepedia and swtor.wikia (each have clear images). Your task, if you participate (either yourself or by proxy (outsourcing an artist)), is to take those designs and merge them together then submit the images via internet URL however you can (dropbox, pintrest, google images, etc.).

REWARDS: First place with have their artwork presented through a link in the author's notes of the chapter released at the end of the competition. They will also be given the opportunity to design the starship that belongs to the Sith Emperor. 2nd thru 5th place artists will have two optional reward choices. OPTION ONE: Your design will be renamed and used as the starship of another character (E.g. Lord Savage, General Bogo, Valeria, Shifu, etc.). OPTION TWO: Based on your design, I will forward you a character with the starships that have inspired theirs for you to design. The difference between these two options is that ONE is where **I** chose who gets the starship already designed and TWO is where **you** design one specifically for a character. 6th thru the rest will have their ships mentioned throughout the story.

MISC INFO: "Are you commissioning these fanartworks and are they mandatory?" -- No, I am not commissioning these works and participation is entirely optional. No one  _has or must_ participate. "What do you mean by 'proxy'?" -- By proxy, I mean that you commission another artist for the artwork. In those cases, I will require the user handle the commissioned artist goes by so that they are properly acknowledged for their work. Both the submitter and the proxy will be awarded their placement prize though. "If we commission a work from a proxy, will we be reimbursed?" -- No. That decision was made by you and you alone. "As this is Star Wars, will you be doing something similar for the droids?" -- Yes, I will. However the current focus is the starships. -- "Character crystals?" -- When it is time for our two heroes to wield lightsabers, I will host a poll detailing colour choices and their meanings (yes, each color has a specific meaning). "Character and armor designs?" -- I'd like to hold a competition for that as well, but again, starships 1st. "How will we get to view the submissions?" -- I will post a master list as an addendum with URL links. "Honorable mentions?" Those will also be on the master list, but I also have something special in store for those artists.

Time frame of contest: Last day to submit any works is January 11, the Thursday prior to that month's chapter release. Any art turned in after midnight CST that evening will automatically be out of the running. I'm well aware that digital art takes time which is why I'm allotting a little more than a month for this. Digital artists (if you're participating), know that your artwork will be scored the same as hand-drawn using a digital art checklist counterpart. Everyone participating will be treated equally in this challenge. If you are confused at how hand-drawn art can be submitted, it is the same way one would for Tumblr (which my daughter uses regularly to see Zootopia art as well as other Disney works). Just send the URLs via comment box.

 

The Inspirations:

Ebon Hawk:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ebon_Hawk

http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/Ebon_Hawk

 

Rogue Shadow:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rogue_Shadow

 

XS stock light freighter:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/XS_stock_light_freighter/Legends

http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/Corellian_XS_Stock_Light_Freighter

 

Fury-class Imperial interceptor:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Fury-class_Imperial_interceptor

http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/Fury-Class_Imperial_Interceptor

 

Kom'rk-class fighter/transport:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kom%27rk-class_fighter/transport

 

Visionary:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Visionary

 

Final Words from MC: There is a one submission limit per participant. You may submit more, but please mark which one is your entry. Also, I encourage you reread the section about the Night Howler's description. The "Picket ship" designation comes from the D5-Mantis Patrol Craft [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/D5-Mantis_Patrol_Craft | http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/D5-Mantis_Patrol_Craft] and was used for its 'alpha predator' status as well as its scout/patrol aspect, and some floor plans (see video in second link). Other than that, everything else fits. Use your imagination for the rest, like color scheme, decals, the like.

Remember: No one is required to participate in this contest. My son and I just thought it would be an interesting/intriguing to see how you all view the Night Howler. If the two of us have any participants, I'll admit we'll be gobsmacked. If no one does, we won't really lose any sleep over it. We just wanted to offer this opportunity.

Cordially,

0P3RaGh05T

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read over it all, there's one last thing that I must add: Chapter 2 and 3 have been written. Ch 2 is typed and undergoing a few tweaks and will be posted Dec 21. Chapter 3 is being typed, and Chapter 4 is under construction. Once I've finished tweaking Chapter 2, I need my son's approval before posting it, but either way, it will be posted by Dec 21. Chapter 3's set for January 18. The first three chapters are introducing the key players. Chapter 4 is when things start happening.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this story. I know my son (who gets a chapter earlier than y'all only 'cause he's here when I type it up) does. Please leave a comment. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.


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